There is an upside to this of course: the moment any of these actors interact without Justin there it feels like a double relief. I can imagine one almost physically suffering watching some of this cast interact with Timberlake. Burke puts him not only in the (essentially) primary role, but also places him aside Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, John Heard, Dylan McDermott, Cary Elwes and (I'm surprised he was as good) LL Cool J. However, Timberlake alone isn't to blame for his failure.
With his metrosexual lisp (read lithp), his boyish glances and emotional expressions which derive from something like 'The 25 Cliché Expressions for Actors,' he poisons the screen upon which he is inflicted mercilessly, and no matter how you slice it, I do not and will not buy his role as an amateur-turned-crusader-for-justice journalist. I used to have problems with Ben Affleck's acting talent, but Timberlake makes Affleck look like Sir Ian McKellen or Dame Judi Dench. Timberlake is simply a bad actor and he would be equally terrible in any role.
Timberlake is horribly miscast in fact, casting him is like casting Andy Dick to play the lead role in 'Patton,' or Nathan Lane to play Jesus. I don't remember the last time I reacted to a performance as emotionally as I did to Justin Timberlake's in 'Edison.' I got so emotional I wanted to scream in anguish, destroy the screen, readily accept the hopeless cries of nihilism.
