The Human Stain

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Melissa L This was not any better than the indie movies I've seen with no stars. I was disappointed there were so many well-known actors and this movie wasn't better. I wouldn't recommend it. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/22/25 Full Review Elizabeth G A long, hard, slow slog that tries and fails to illicit any emotion. It's a great premise, but it's bogged down by slow pacing that makes this feel tedious. Could have been so much better. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/11/25 Full Review steve d Ridiculous and ineffective. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member It has problems to be sure (certain casting choices, the lack of any serious deep dive into the academic culture it is supposedly criticizing etc.) however, I'm pleasantly surprised that the movie isn't really the perverse fantasy I feared it would be as the characters often make choices that complicate them in ways that ensure they don't exists as mouthpieces for particular ideologies. Also, I am grateful that the central "twist" here is revealed rather casually rather than dropped as a bombshell. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review dave s Based on Philip Roth's novel, The Human Stain tells the story of Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins), a college professor living in a world of political correctness where racism runs rampant, whose life is forever altered by the moral stupidity of his colleagues. While it is always unfair to compare a movie adaptation to its source material, in this case it's impossible not to. The secondary characters who are integral to the story in the novel seem like extra baggage in the film. More importantly, the revelation about Silk's background that is so devastatingly impactful in the novel comes across a bit bizarre in the film, triggering the realization that the casting of Hopkins in the role of Silk may have been a questionable decision. By no stretch of the imagination is this a bad movie, but if you have read the book, there's probably not much to be gained by watching the film. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review ronald h I haven't read Philip Roth's _The Human Stain_, but I suspect that this Hollywood-ized adaptation isn't particularly faithful to the book. It certainly doesn't have the humor found in Roth's work. First of all, it's miscast. Nicole Kidman, playing a blue collar woman whose ex husband used to beat her until she went into a coma, is entirely too good looking. She has no scratches or scars, and her makeup is perfect. She uses all kinds of affectations, like sucking on cigarettes and sullenly tossing her hair around, but none of it is convincing. It's a fake, overdone performance. Anthony Hopkins would seem like a good choice for a pretentious, 60-something college dean, but the fact that he's black passing as white (no big spoiler; we find out pretty early in flashbacks) is pretty hard to swallow. Not to mention the fact that the two of them have an affair. How likely is that? Their scenes together are actually embarrassing. So are the flashback scenes of Hopkins with his college sweetheart. In Great Gatsby fashion, the "love" in this movie is basically lust and obsession. Gary Sinise is convincing as a foil for Hopkin's character. Ed Harris, as Kidman's abusive ex, is underdeveloped. It's all very angst-ridden and contrived. 2 1/2 stars for good pacing and the polemic on racism. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Human Stain

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