StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

ronsmolin After reading the novel and watching the film on four different occasions, I am constantly blown away. Missing from the film are the section headings in the novel, chief which is the first section, entitled: Morphine--and this gets your mind thinking one way, while by the end you realize what really happens. There are hints throughout the film, including the Korean War scene briefly at the beginning; the R.O.T.C.students parading in widely separated scenes; and by the so-called dream monologue after his surgery where he reveals the secret of the film. The film and book preset the finest dialogue I've ever heard in any recent films. The confrontations between Marcus and the Dean are priceless and appeal to thoughtful viewers everywhere.One nasty scene in the book had to be excised from the film, as it presents a sordid and incredulous display of sexual lust as Marcus' gay roommate masturbates all over Marcus' single room.Finally, who are the indignant characters in the film? One could say that nearly all the characters are indignant. Marcus is the master of indignation as he protest the manipulation of his actions by the Dean, who is co-master of indignation, as all his beliefs are debunked by Marcus. Olivia is driven to a nervous breakdown, partly because Marcus is forced to reject her. Marcus' mother is greatly indignant because of her husband's erratic behavior. The nurse who watches the hand job by Olivia. And so on.Finally, has anyone mentioned the profession of Marcus' father? Butcher. One who cuts and slices meat--just like the slaughtering in the Korean War. Nice touch!

pniemeyer-47222 I've never read any Philip Roth, but if this film is any indicator, his work may be difficult to translate to the screen. The drama in this film is very introverted. It deals with a Jewish teenager (Logan Lerman) from New Jersey who attends a liberal arts college in Ohio, becomes infatuated with a fellow student (Sarah Gadon), and finds himself beset by the various social pressures that might affect someone in his position. Some scenes work very well (an argument between Lerman and his dean, played by playwright Tracy Letts, is proof that a verbal argument can be every bit as tense as a shootout), but on the whole, the film has a staid, overly formal quality to it.Some of that is the dialogue. I'm guessing much of it is taken intact from the novel, because it sounds too "written" when said aloud. I understand that these characters are smart, well-spoken people, but even so, there are some scenes where it feels as if we are listening to the screenwriter rather than the characters. The direction, too, has a very restrained quality, as first-time writer-director James Schamus shoots some of the dialogue in static medium shots that few contemporary directors would use. One one hand, I admire him for not falling prey to the quick-cutting style that so many modern films employ. At the same time, this film feels a little cold.The actors, for their part, do well. Logan Lerman, who was excellent in "Noah", proves yet again that he is capable of conveying just as much through facial expressions and reaction shots as through speech. Some of the supporting actors don't fare as well. Perhaps that could be the writing.I can't really give this film a definitive thumbs up or thumbs down. If you are a fan of Roth's or find the idea of Jewish-born sexually active atheist railing against a society that teaches him that he should repress his true feelings, then check this film out. It's sad, contemplative, and, in its own understated way, beautiful.

joshyates1980 The young man, Marcus Messner, was fortunate to attend college instead of being drafted by the military because of the Korean war. Marcus had huge potential for his academic journey due to his ambitious reason to leave his small town and begin his higher education.After arriving at the college, he slowly begins to experience cultural shock. One experience after another, Marcus begins to become unease and his studies are no longer a top priority. A young beautiful woman, Olivia Hutton, distorts his thinking after she relieves Marcus from some sexual tension.Marcus' encounter with the college dean is an amazing scene. The young man displays principles he believes in and not any organized religion. The dean begins to provoke Marcus indirectly about being an atheist. As Marcus tries to retreat from the dean's office, Marcus continued to slice through the dean's attempt to make him fold. The dean would not let Marcus leave gently.Ultimately, Marcus failed to "fit in" and throughout the movie his reason and choices determine his unprecedented outcome, which is not college. Sprinkle some random chance on Marcus' particular situation that resulted from his experience at the college, the young boy's destiny was far from his expectations after his initial small hometown escape.

elle_kittyca While I find some films on IMDb over rated, i feel like this one, which is currently ranked at 7, about right. A few important notes, I enjoy historical based drama, questions about philosophy and religious identity, and so this film all had elements that I am naturally well disposed to. Also in its favour is that, while it did not have a lot of action, it moved faster than many of today history films which spend so much time setting things up that the film becomes too long. The drawbacks of the film is that the elements were not as original as one would like, and the conclusion was anticlimactic. The movie touches on themes highlighted in movies such as "a Serious man," the Butterfly Effect, MR. Nobody, Sliding doors, etc... It does a good job of exploring those themes in a simple story without becoming too bizarre and too convoluted. The payoff however, while philosophically profound, doesn't feel as profound as in those other films You could call it "understated," but it also felt anticlimactic. . A minor criticism is that I don't enjoy seeing women portrayed as borderline personalities whose intentions are to victimize others.