The Human Stain Reviews

Flawed adaptation of Roth's novel isn't for kids.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

Casting a stain.

Full Review | Original Score: D

Both Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins are vastly miscast in Robert Benton's poor adaptation of Philip Roth's poignant novel, one of the few works about contempo academic battlefields.

Full Review | Original Score: C

The acting is phenomenal (especially Harris), and the film will be a nice challenge for those in search of one.

Full Review | Original Score: B+

One of the most underrated pictures of 2003.

| Original Score: A-

The film's frame groans in its attempt to contain such a complex story, and its actors ask us to accept implausible things... but it's ultimately rewarding.

Full Review | Original Score: A-

A tricky adaptation of an unlikely novel that nevertheless goes almost as wrong as possible...prey to the most amateur varieties of structural and tonal errors.

Full Review | Original Score: F

...a potboiler disguised as a work of art.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10

In an obvious stretch, Kidman's acting calls attention to itself, especially with her broad gestures.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

It is a well-dressed, good-looking wax dummy of a film.

Full Review

a well-acted misfire...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4

Watching Kidman mop floors impressed me with same effect as seeing George W. Bush fly a fighter jet.

Full Review

Além das péssimas escalações de Hopkins e Kidman, que simplesmente não convencem em seus papéis, o filme ainda sofre em função do roteiro sem foco de Meyer.

| Original Score: 2/5

It's a thought-provoking, unusually intelligent and well-acted film.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4

A valiant attempt to bring a difficult book (Philip Roth's The Human Stain) to the screen that's undermined by the added distraction of Nicole Kidman as a char lady.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4

Sensitively written and directed but spectacularly miscast.

Full Review | Original Score: C+

There are some terrific scenes.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

A well-acted and well-intentioned film, but the plot is laughably inept.

Full Review | Original Score: C

The Human Stain is an interesting film that doesn't quite work. [It] is probably the best film version possible of what is essentially an unfilmable work.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

Tries to hedge its bets by doing a conscious balancing act between page and screen, and ends up doing justice to neither.