The Human Stain
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Movie Reviews of The Human Stain
Movie Review: Yes, It's A Stretch, But Very Thought-Provoking & Fascinating
Summary: 4 Stars
Although I enjoyed this film and rate it high, I have to admit this was more than a bit of a stretch for most people, and for at least four good reasons: 1 - Anthony Hopkins being a light-skinned black man; 2 - Nicole Kidman being a white trailer trash person (no person that poor looks that good!); 3 - A beautiful woman like Kidman falling for a much-older man like Hopkins unless it was for money, which he does not have in here, and 4 - Ed Harris' character would have been locked up and unable to affect things in the end, as shown here.
If you can go along with all of those credibility issues, you have a very interesting film on your hands to watch. It also look super on widescreen DVD and has a terrifice soundtrack. Don't miss the beautiful piano piece during the ending credits, either.
Once again, I enjoyed the acting of Hopkins, one of the best of his generation. Just the looks on his face alone are fascinating in this film. Kidman is interesting, too, with my only complaint being her overuse of the f-word. Ninety percent of them in this movie come from her. Gary Sinise is the nice-guy friend who narrates the film.
This is a deep human-interest story of a black man who winds up - in an earlier era - posing as a white man so he can have a better chance at a successful career. In the process, he sacrifices his roots, his family and siblings, which comes back to haunt him. He's also a victim, ironically, of political correctness on the subject of race. Wow, it's unusual - and refreshing - to see how PC can run amok and hurt well-meaning people, as demonstrated in this story.
Going into further details might spoil the rest of it, so I'll end here. This is a film I found surprisingly engrossing and if you can withstand the f-word, one I recommend.
Movie Review: Stained in the blood of a whole lifetime...
Summary: 4 Stars
Instead of having premeditated impressions, the movie's casting coaxes me into seeing it. The story itself is meaningful and its overall arrangement is captivating, but more running time could have been employed to deepen the plot's moving power.
Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) was accused of racial discrimination because he referred to his two African American students as "spooks" since they were absent from the class. After experiencing disastrous losses at this late stage of his life, he befriended the writer, Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise) and was involved with a working-class woman Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman) who was much younger than he was. Dark, tragic pasts, including the intrusions of her ex-husband (Ed Harris), kept plaguing Faunia. Thus, people around Coleman Silk had been persuading him out of romanizing with Faunia. However, their suggestions went on deaf years, for Faunia reminded Silk of his youthful love and was almost a salvation for him to purity his deep-rooted anguish.
The performances from the actors and actresses are all extraordinary. Hopkins, although too "white" to play Silk, was convincingly the man with simmering pain, presented by his subdued expressions. Kidman did an equally good job despite her extreme motions now and then. Moreover, the unknown young performers who play young Silk and his lover are remarkable, too, whose vividly delivery of two people confined by their ethnic biases really shine.
"The Human Stain" serves as a stark irony of a person not identifying with his own pedigree. The movie touches the controversial issue of racism in an innovative approach, and it is worth seeing if you are looking for a film that will arouse some afterthoughts.
Movie Review: The intransigence of comfort
Summary: 4 Stars
Two lonely people come together, Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins), a professor who quits his job after a supposed racial slur and Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman), an eccentric younger woman disabused by the harsh realities of her life. A former welterweight boxer who has turned his back on his race, Silk lives as a white man caught in an ironic twist of fate. In a fine blend of racism and religious intolerance before the gratuity of political correctness, the young Coleman makes irreversible decisions that critically affect his later years. As a deeply melancholic mature man, Coleman finds sudden happiness with Faunia in spite of her personal despondency and refusal to believe in joy.
Moody and dark, played out against countryside covered with snow, the fine-tuned cinematography catches every nuance of shadow and flesh, as the movie evolves into an agonizing collision of desire vs. reality. Acting out the role of Achilles, pitted against fate and the grim determination of the gods, Silk refuses to give up the younger woman, no matter the consequences.
The film is carefully balanced, shifting from present to past, exposing the painful histories of the characters, the roots of their flaws. The supporting roles are beautifully played by Gary Sinise as Nathan Zukerman, a reclusive writer and friend of Silk's and Ed Harris as Lester Farley, an ex-Vietnam vet unable to purge the violence from his life. In the end, seeking an island of comfort, Silk and Faunia gravitate to one another, sensing at least a temporary respite from an often cruel world. "The things that restore you can destroy you." Luan Gaines/ 2005.
Movie Review: Close to the bone
Summary: 4 Stars
Not a bad interpretation of Philip Roth's novel; Anthony Hopkins is, yes, a little too British and not entirely believable in the racially ambiguous role he is assigned & Nicole Kidman does bring a little too much star power to her part, but the bones of the story remain intact (and I have indeed read the Roth novel). I think Gary Sinise is a fine choice for the role of Zuckerman, the novelist whose outside perspective tells the story,
The inner nexus of themes has to do with a number of important and archetypal issues that circle around each other, never reaching full closure. To what extent can a person "opt out" of full participation in life, either because society or nature makes it hard? Who do you betray when you make that choice? Does society (or your employer) bear any responsibility? Sex and love, what is the relationship, finally and in the last analysis?
The genius of Roth's novel is to raise such difficult questions; thankfully, the film does not shy away from them. Really, it's a praiseworthy effort to convey how complicated it is to negotiate the difficult passage between full participation and cowardly retirement from the business of life. I'd definitely recommend this film; its flaws are venial; its accomplishments are mortal.
Movie Review: Slightly Flawed Film Boosted By High Star Power
Summary: 4 Stars
The Human Stain" is an interesting film about the bond between an unlikely couple (played by Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins). The one thing they seem to have in common is a life of emotional heartbreak, loneliness, and pain. The film basically tells the story of their lives and eventual coming together through a series of flashbacks. I did not find these flashbacks at all confusing as some reviewers have. However, the film is somewhat flawed and lacking. It has a tendency to drag slightly and never really takes off. The ending is somewhat disappointing and could have been written much more effectively. However, the acting performances are outstanding. I think this is Nicole Kidman's best acting role. Her performance as an emotionally weakened, unsophisticated woman is outstanding. Also brilliant are Anthony Hopkins and Gary Sinise (a friend of Hopkins' character who narrates the movie). And Ed Harris does a good job playing Kidman's psychotic ex-husband. Despite its weaknesses, this is an interesting film backed by some excellent acting.