The Human Stain
This movie has been criticized on the grounds that it’s miscast and that Philip Roth’s work doesn’t readily lend itself to film translation. However, I think this adaptation of Roth’s novel (which I’ve long been meaning to read) is a strong film. The quality of their performances made me buy Hopkins and Kidman in roles that don’t seem right for them (as a black man passing for white and a janitor, respectively). The story about the impact of racism and political correctness on the life of an academic is set in the recent past and may remind one of incidents and conversations from one’s own experience.
--Nov 11, 2003