New Film Review: Indignation

Indignation

Directed by James Schamus
Screenplay by James Schamus
Based on the book by Phillip Roth
Starring Sarah Gadon; Logan Lerman; and Tracy Letts





This was a very odd film.
It was as cold as the plot or lack there of the plot.
I do not know what the hell it was!!!

How quiet and cold? Well when I saw it last week I went by myself. In the theatre were two other groups of people. By the halfway mark.....I was alone in the theatre. People just left...walked out.
They should have stayed because the film got a little better in the second half.

Still the film has a lot of problems.

It starts with the lead character, Marcus, played by Logan Lerman. I think the film makers want us to feel sorry for him...however he constantly comes across as a jerk. To the viewer, it makes it a hard film to watch....thus people walked out. Marcus is as cold as the film.

Tracy Letts who plays Dean Caudwell also is cold. I cannot tell what his issue is. He does not like Jewish people maybe? Or maybe I missed something? Or maybe Marcus is such a jerk it kind of pisses him off. Still, no matter, like Marcus he is unlikable.

Now the only likable person in this film is Sarah Gadon as Olivia. She is only in the film for maybe a half an hour and she is great. She plays the part soft with an odd forwardness if that makes sense. She is just lovely. Sadly there is not enough of her. We know a little about her past but we never find out enough.

That brings us to the plot.
We have a jerk lead.
A jerk costar playing the Dean.
And a likable female costar who we find out little about.
That leaves the plot cold and a storyline that seems it should have given us a lot more info, to have us care. Now I did not read the popular book. Which made me think they left too much on the floor.
The ending I think makes us feel bad for Marcus, but there is a deeper sadness for Olivia.

Which is the positive............
Gadon does make us feel. At the end....no spoilers here.

Another positive was a wonderful scene between Letts and Lerman in the Deans office It last about 10 minutes and is just a wonderful bit of acting. At that point I thought here we go!! The film is waking up!! Alas no.

2 stars out of 5 for Indignation. Maybe worth a look when it comes to home viewing.