His plays are sprawling and noisy; crude themes are overstated; characters lack subtlety; and there's a pantomime quality to the action.

Rocks should vary in size and color but from each other, but not have bright colors, which would lack subtlety.

The ending - anticipating 9/11 - also lacks subtlety.

But for the most part this record lacks subtlety, aiming itself at an audience suffering the manifold trials of adolescence.

There followed a string of formulaic films that lacked subtlety and were savaged by the critics but which were huge box-office draws.