A long, hard, slow slog that tries and fails to illicit any emotion. It's a great premise, but it's bogged down by slow pacing that makes this feel tedious. Could have been so much better.

Ridiculous and ineffective.

It has problems to be sure (certain casting choices, the lack of any serious deep dive into the academic culture it is supposedly criticizing etc.) however, I'm pleasantly surprised that the movie isn't really the perverse fantasy I feared it would be as the characters often make choices that complicate them in ways that ensure they don't exists as mouthpieces for particular ideologies. Also, I am grateful that the central "twist" here is revealed rather casually rather than dropped as a bombshell.

Based on Philip Roth's novel, The Human Stain tells the story of Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins), a college professor living in a world of political correctness where racism runs rampant, whose life is forever altered by the moral stupidity of his colleagues. While it is always unfair to compare a movie adaptation to its source material, in this case it's impossible not to. The secondary characters who are integral to the story in the novel seem like extra baggage in the film. More importantly, the revelation about Silk's background that is so devastatingly impactful in the novel comes across a bit bizarre in the film, triggering the realization that the casting of Hopkins in the role of Silk may have been a questionable decision. By no stretch of the imagination is this a bad movie, but if you have read the book, there's probably not much to be gained by watching the film.

I haven't read Philip Roth's _The Human Stain_, but I suspect that this Hollywood-ized adaptation isn't particularly faithful to the book. It certainly doesn't have the humor found in Roth's work. First of all, it's miscast. Nicole Kidman, playing a blue collar woman whose ex husband used to beat her until she went into a coma, is entirely too good looking. She has no scratches or scars, and her makeup is perfect. She uses all kinds of affectations, like sucking on cigarettes and sullenly tossing her hair around, but none of it is convincing. It's a fake, overdone performance. Anthony Hopkins would seem like a good choice for a pretentious, 60-something college dean, but the fact that he's black passing as white (no big spoiler; we find out pretty early in flashbacks) is pretty hard to swallow. Not to mention the fact that the two of them have an affair. How likely is that? Their scenes together are actually embarrassing. So are the flashback scenes of Hopkins with his college sweetheart. In Great Gatsby fashion, the "love" in this movie is basically lust and obsession. Gary Sinise is convincing as a foil for Hopkin's character. Ed Harris, as Kidman's abusive ex, is underdeveloped. It's all very angst-ridden and contrived. 2 1/2 stars for good pacing and the polemic on racism.

Anthony Hopkins is pretty much his one-trick pony performance that we have seen in films like THE EDGE and the like. Nicole Kidman is very convincing as the town whore. What is not believable is a woman as beautiful as her getting caught up in such a ridiculous scenario: married to a crazy PTSD Nam veteran that used to beat her into a 2 day coma (played by the amazing Ed Harris) and cheating on him with Hopkins. What the film does capture well is atmosphere. There is an empathic power to this film that is obviously a gift of the director. It evokes emotions and feelings strongly and you are ensnared within the small town drama. Boxing acts as a sort of invisible thread throughout the film (it keeps getting referenced). The big problem I have with the acting is that in real life none of it would happen as it goes down in the movie. The acting is either not enough or too much and that creates a sort of palpitation to the telling of the story and the plot. The cinematography is about a C+, nothing too impressive but average enough to make it watchable. The film relies heavily on sexual references and nudity throughout to keep you glued to your chair (kind of like Basic Instinct did). And the women are beautiful in this movie and were most likely cast for their skin as well as their acting ability. My final word on this is if you want to watch a Hopkins film...watch Silence of the Lambs. If you want to watch a Kidman picture, put in Eyes Wide Shut by Kubrick. Gary Sinise couldn't even save this, so pop in Forrest Gump instead. It is forgettable as a whole but does have a few nice moments and scenes that I will remember. The score when it occurs is either big band music or some type of old jazz record playing while Kidman and Hopkins are in bed together or if Sinise and Hopkins are hanging out. Ivy covered campus, lots of warmth and closeness, classic tunes, and as I said before lots of eye candy make this an ok rental but a swing and a miss as far as making it to my official collection.

An "unfilmable" novel combined with some questionable casting decisions takes the focus off the real issues. While "unfilmable" it is not unwatchable and the cast is pretty remarkable -- even those in more bizarre roles.

i didn't believe anthony hopkins to be a black man. Thus the flashbacks to his youth with his biological black family felt like a different movie. This is where it falls apart. Somewhere closer to the 30 minute mark. You spend another 20 minutes after that confused. ...Enjoying the disjointed past and present parts of the movie in and of themselves but thinking someone is playing tricks on you and actually spliced together 2 different movies. The last 20-30 minutes are anti-climatic as all can be. As by then nothing happens that really hasn't already happened or been said. The acting is good enough. But the parts don't all fit together. btw, even if you can believe Anthony Hopkins to actually be a black man, which I couldn't, it doesn't feel like the movie needs him to be one. The fact he was wrongly fired because of overzealous political correctness and his wife passed away partly due to this aggravating some condition of hers was more than enough to buy into the anger he had. To suddenly have this whole Anthony Hopkins is actually a black man back story dropped onto your lap was a light switch flick you don't see coming and not in a good way. But in a, did I accidentally change the channel sort of way because this doesn't feel like the same story.

Thought because if the actors and setting this would be ok. Its not. Miserable to sit through. Two story lines that don’t tie into one another whatsoever.

A pretty good soap opera.

Even though Hopkins & Kiddman are some of my favorites.Due to the characters and plot this was impossible to sit thru.

great movie, such amazing acting

I think you'd make a great boxer. A former college dean, now teacher, has been called racist due to a term he used in class and asked to step down. During his retirement, he meets a troubled woman who sleeps with him and unveils a turbulent past. While hearing her story, he digs into his own demons on how he got where he is today. "If you're looking for sympathy, you've come to the wrong place. I don't do sympathy." Robert Benton, director of Bad Company, Kramer vs. Kramer, Still of the Night, Twilight, Nobody's Fool, Nadine, Places in the Heart, and Feast of Love, delivers The Human Stain. The storyline for this picture is very compelling and unfolds well. I loved the subplots and how everything comes together. The acting is also very good and the cast includes Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Wentworth Miller, Kerry Washington, and Jacinda Barrett. "What's it like fucking an old man?" "It was perfect. No surprises." I came across this film on Netflix and had to add it to my queue since I had never heard of it. This was excellent and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This wasn't Silence of the Lambs good, but it does have an intense and unique plot that comes together perfectly. I recommend seeing this once. "Give up the girl, Achilles." Grade: A-

deeply moving much better than most reviews but not all

The gut wrenching later scene between young Coleman and his mother is beautiful and emotional pay-dirt. "You're white as snow but you act like a slave." That scene alone makes me recommend this film. Plus the soundtrack is lovely.

its an ok nicole kidman movie not the best however

I probably would have awarded this only 2 1/2 stars if not for the excellent acting of Sir Anthony Hopkins.

love anything Anthony Hopkins, but truly a good movie and great acting by all.

A good movie, however the choice of Anthony Hopkins for the lead role is questionable. His European accent and features really don't fit well with the young Coleman Silk's voice and looks.

this is the only Benton (writer/director) film that i don't care for.