 The film version of Philip Roth's The Human Stain has emerged somewhat tarnished by critics, most of whom are writing the-book-was-better reviews. Most, however, commend writer Nicholas Meyer for his efforts at condensing Roth's story into a manageable screenplay, to director Robert Benton for mounting it, and especially to a cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, and Gary Sinise. Jonathan Foreman concludes in the New York Post: "Though Human Stain is sometimes too chaotic and sometimes too neat, it boasts some of the best acting of the year, and is probably a lock for Oscar nominations." Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News writes that the acting is "first-rate," but she concludes, The mordant humor and far-reaching observations of the book don't come across." Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun begins his review by remarking: "Philip Roth's The Human Stain is a great novel that retains some fraction of its explosive force even in Robert Benton's relatively tame movie version." John Anderson's criticism in Newsday of the adaptation is harsher: "What's shattering is the utterly graceless way the book has been adulterated, condensed, simplified and made rather pointless by an inability to wrestle the material into filmable shape." But Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times awards the film 3 1/2 stars, calls it "ambitious and fascinating" and says that Benton directs it "with a sure feel for the human values involved." |
