Ben Brantley observes that Piven’s departure allowed David Mamet “to come up with his funniest one-liner in years.” And yet, “now that I have seen two of Mr. Piven’s replacements in the central role of Bobby Gould, a film producer who catches a slight case of existential crisis, I am newly respectful of both Mr. Mamet’s accomplishment here and of the artistry of first-rate actors.”