First off in this review of ‘Indignation’ based on the novel by Philip Roth, this is not my kind of movie. I admit I prefer the big studio popcorn flicks. Just my preference. I went to this movie on the recommendation of a friend. That being said, I did not like the movie, but it is a very good movie. Weird opinion, I know, but it’s how I feel. It was well acted and it looked great. It really transports you to the 1950’s and you get a honest, unfiltered view of a world that few have experienced.
The movie tells the story of Marcus Messner, a young Jewish boy from Newark who heads off to the prestigious Winesburg University in Ohio. His father worries for him due to the number of young men lost to the Korean war. Marcus escapes the draft through his scholarship to Winesburg. When Marcus arrives at college, he takes to his studies with extreme focus and works in the school library. His attention is caught by a beautiful coed, Olivia Hutton. They have a eventful first date which sets into motion a difficult and challenging relationship. Olivia is troubled but Marcus can’t stay away.
Personalities clash as Marcus meets with his roommates and Dean of the school. The script is eloquent and intelligent and you soon find yourself lost in the characters’ lives. Marcus is an intense character and you can feel every moment of his journey through his college days. The pain and confusion of his first real love and the frustration of being trapped in a world that not only does not understand him, but refuses to understand him. I’m sure we’ll be hearing Oscar buzz for this one in the coming months. As good as it was though, I had problems with it. I just found Marcus to sometimes be overly aggressive in his ideals. One entire scene which could have ended with a single sentence was drawn out simply due to Marcus insisting to create an argument where none existed. It seemed in every scene he would get along with whoever it was he was talking to, and then it would turn and become a angry confrontation and t hen back to being civil again. It just seemed to me a lot of Marcus’ problems were self-inflicted.
Audience: The audience was fairly well-behaved. They were quiet and attentive, but there was one point during the film in which a gentleman in the row ahead of me seemed to nod off and started to snore rather loudly. Other than that, no incidents.
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