The Human Stain (Robert Benton, 2003)

This film is a two-man show. First: Anthony Hopkins is flawless in it. Coleman Silk, the character he plays, carries a burden that has been gnawing at his insides for years and years. Hopkins plays him with the right mixture of erudition, sensitivity and apparent bluntness that the character demands.

Despite Hopkins's great performance, I would definitely assign the kudos to Ed Harris who, in his brief appearances, manages to steal away the film from the two leads with seemingly effortless ease. He is simply from out of this world. The intense rage and thinly veiled menace that he expresses simply by looking is riveting. Lester Farley is a dangerous wounded animal and Harris conveys this in every frame.

On the other hand, Nicole Kidman is uncharacteristically subdued. She has her good moments, but as the cliche` goes, these are few and far in-between. When working with actors of the calibre of Hopkins and Harris when they're in top form, this is simply not enough. Having said that, her strip tease dance is one of the sexiest I've ever seen. Phew! (Well done to the director as well: he charges the dance with an equal measure of sensuality and emotion.)

The Human Stain is a very difficult film to make. It is character driven and the story revolves around the emotions that the characters go through. I call these internal films. There is not much happening on the surface of things, but if one cares to look at what is not being said and peer closely at small gestures or flitting expressions, he or she will surely be rewarded. It is a film that thrives on subtleties and nuances, and the details are what really make the difference.

I have noticed that in this kind of film the camera becomes almost invisible. There are no daring shots or unusual angles. The director wants to disappear from the set to allow the characters to go on with their messed-up lives. But he would always be on the lookout for that intimate moment that pushes the story forward.

Favourite moments: Any time Ed Harris is on screen. Madonna kemm hu tajjeb.

Labels: 2003, benton, dvd, harris, hopkins, kidman, sinise