Indignation

LJ'S QUICK MOVIE REVIEW "Indignation", set in 1951, follows the story of Marcus (Logan Lerman) and his struggles with love and religion. Although his parents Jewish, Marcus is an atheist and often is at odds with his family, school, and community. However, when he meets another student named Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon), everything changes. The movie does an excellent job of portraying the challenging ethical and romantic complications Marcus has to face in his daily life. His character is extremely well- developed and well-written as he has moments of self-doubt, self-discovery, and emotional conflict. Although the movie does have moments of humor, its general tone is somber. Overall, the riveting movie's simple premise is elevated by the great chemistry between the leading actors and the immersing quality of the filmography. As Marcus tries to discover who he wants to be in life, we get a chance to reflect on who we are as well. At its heart, the movie is a captivating journey that explores its protagonist's identity and goals in a heartfelt way. LJ's Grade: B

What can I say? This movie started out like a seemingly carefree experience about college life in the repressed early 1950s. Somewhere along the line, it does a complete about face and becomes an extremely serious take on pre-material sex, interfaith romance,the belief or lack of in God, the misfortunes of war and destiny. The performances were all outstanding and captured the morals and the social structure of the early 1950s. At times, some scenes were a bit long and slightly dull, but this reflects on the concept of this film....life can be dull and boring until one opens up their being to new experiences. Wuthout giving the ending away, it is a surprise and extremely depressing. I like happy endings and unfortunately, this film ending ranks as one of the most depressing in film history. Still, if you love great acting, see this film. 10 out of 10.

It's so good to watch a movie where the dialog is outstanding - funny heartbreaking, frustrating and meaningful. Really listen to the dialog. There are some scenes which are just so outstanding - the first meeting in the dean' office and then when the mother talks to her son about his father and then his girlfriend. The characters are not stereotypical. The Jewish protective father instead of mother is an interesting thing to watch. Although the issues are 50s issues, this is not an old fashioned or irrelevant movie. The acting is so good I only thought about the themes and message of the story later on.

Logan Lerman's sensitive face is just right for this role. The character could seem stubborn and annoying if another actor had played him, but Logan has a likability that overcomes that. Sarah Gadon as the girl he loves is fascinating to watch as the well mannered but damaged beauty. An unforgettable character. Tracy Letts as the dean plays it just right - not a caricature of conservatism but another fascinating creature to watch. Linda Emond is restrained and effective as the worried mother.

This is a serious movie with some unexpected humor in between. A must watch - one of the best dramas in recent years.

Fitting certain decades into neat little categories are repeated often enough that they have become unquestioned clichés, for example, the 50s were an age of conformity, the 60s an age of youth revolt, and the 70s the so-called "Me Generation." As in all generalizations, there is some aspect of truth even when there is a different reality that does not fit into the stereotypes. Based on the novel by Philip Roth, first-time director James Schamus' Indignation is the story of an individual who was willing to challenge prevailing attitudes. Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman) is a young Jewish intellectual brought up in a liberal environment who struggles to find his voice in an Ohio college that is a bastion of social conservatism.

Set in 1951 in Newark, N.J., tired of having to cope with the anxieties of his parents, dad Max (Danny Burstein), a kosher butcher, and mom Esther (Linda Emond) about going off to fight in the Korean War, Marcus enrolls on a scholarship to the fictional Winesburg College in Ohio, a school whose social and cultural attitudes present a hefty challenge. Marcus is intellectually precocious but socially constrained and sexually repressed and the breakout performance by Logan Lerman ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower") fully captures him in all his Rothian complexity.

The fact that he has two Jewish roommates, Bert (Ben Rosenfield) and Ron (Philip Ettinger) is of very little comfort since they are both obnoxious hypocrites. Marcus is very cautious about his social activities, declining an invitation by Sonny Cottler (Pico Alexander) to join the Jewish fraternity. When he goes on a date with Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon), an "experienced" blond-haired Gentile who shocks him by performing oral sex on him, an action in which the confused Marcus wasn't sure if he was coming or going. Overly concerned about what may have been the damage to his Cadillac LaSalle that Marcus borrowed, Ron reacts by punching his roommate in the mouth. Needless to say, this does not endear him to his dorm mates and prompts Marcus to find quieter living arrangements - by himself.

This action prompts a call from the self-righteous Dean Caudwell (Tracy Letts) to come in for an interview that takes fifteen minutes of screen time, a tour-de-farce (sic) which is both sad and funny and a master class in turning verbal sparring into an art form. While the Dean takes a welcome interest in Marcus, the interview turns into a riff on the Spanish Inquisition as the student is bombarded with questions about his application for school - why his father's occupation was listed as "butcher" rather than as "kosher butcher," why he did not put Jewish as his religious preference, why he couldn't work out his differences with his roommates, and why he has had only one date since school started. The only thing he wasn't asked is whether or not he was circumcised.

Sputtering and obsequious at first, Marcus gains strength as the interview goes on. Showing that, as Romain Rolland put it in "Jean-Christophe," he is not a sheep but a wolf that has teeth and wasn't made for the pasture, he lets the good Dean know in no uncertain terms that, as an atheist, he resents being forced to attend chapel services at least ten times a year and vigorously asserts his atheism by citing Bertrand Russell (whose character the Dean attacks), and lets the old boy know that he is his own man and that if he wants to move away from his insufferable roommates, he will do just that. Vomiting on the Dean's trophies and collapsing from the pain of an appendicitis attack was not in his plan, however, but life has a way of deciding the lessons it wants to teach.

Marcus is unwilling to let the good times roll and his relationship with Olivia takes a darker turn when he finds out that she has had a troubled past and once tried to commit suicide, though we never learn any details. Though their connection is deep and Marcus is a young man whose head is screwed on right, his continued revolt against authority and conflict with his parents does not serve him well. As philosopher Henri Bergson said, "Each step of the journey is made by following the heart instead of following the crowd and by choosing knowledge over the veils of ignorance." Though Indignation is a slow burn that keeps the lid on its emotions, it ultimately succeeds in moving us deeply. Much more than another corporate product with an uplifting message to make sure that waterworks turn into greenbacks, it is a sincere and heartfelt film that illuminates the struggle against a suffocating conformity, a struggle that is just as relevant today as it was in 1950.

"Indignation" (2016 release; 110 min.) brings the early 1950s story of Marcus, a Jersey Jewish kid who's about to go off to college in Ohio. When an older woman learns of this, she responds: "Ohio? How will you keep kosher there?", ha! It's not long before Marcus arrives at the (fictional) Winesburg College in north-central Ohio, where Marcus immerses himself in his studies. But one evening, while working at the library, he notices a strikingly beautiful student. After summoning all of his courage, he finally asks her out for a date... At this point we're not even 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the Philip Roth novel. I haven't read the book so I cannot comment how closely the movie adaptation sticks to the book. This is also the debut of director James Schamus, best know for previously having co-written several of Ang Lee's movies, including "The Ice Storm". Here Schamus brings to life what things were like in the US while the Korean war was raging. Marcus didn't choose to go to college so as to avoid the draft, but because he just loves learning. It is what gives Marcus his identity. However, encountering Olivia changes all that. The movie moves at a slow pace (and I mean that as a complement), certain scenes literally take minutes and minutes to play out. There are several such scenes that are key to the film (Marcus' meeting with the Dean of Students seems to take up at least 10 minutes), allowing plenty of time to examine subject like religious freedom and the at times stifling academic settings on campus. Schamus is able to extract great performances from the leads, Logan Lerman as Marcus and Sarah Gadon as Olivia. But Trace Letts (better known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer of such (screen)plays as "Killer Joe" and "August: Osage County" ) almost steals the movie as the Dean of Students.

"Indignation" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to major critical acclaim. The movie finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Saturday early evening screening was PACKED, much to my surprise, Who knew there was such a pent-up demand for this film? The audience absolutely loved the film. It might well be that "Indignation" can become a solid hit on the art-house theater circuit. If you are in the mood for a well-written and well-acted drama about being in college in the early 50s, this movie is just for you. "Indignation" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!