Indignation

Based on the book by Philip Roth and set in the 1950s, Indignation follows Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman) as he undergoes a series of trials and tribulations after arriving at a small college in Ohio – with, for example, the character butting heads with Tracy Letts’ inquisitive Dean Caudwell and embarking on a tumultuous relationship with Sarah Gadon’s unbalanced Olivia. Director James Schamus, making his debut here, has infused Indignation with a lush and almost stately feel that is, at the outset, more distracting than anything else, as the movie’s Oscar-bait-type vibe initially holds the viewer at arms length and prevents one from connecting with the central character. It’s not long, however, before the inherently engrossing nature of Roth’s story renders such issues moot, and there’s little doubt, too, that Schamus does an absolutely spellbinding job of establishing the movie’s protagonists and very specific locale – with, in terms of the former, Lerman stepping into the shoes of his touchy character to a degree that often proves hypnotic. (It’s clear, too, that both Gadon and Letts deliver flawless performances that elevate the proceedings on a regular basis.) Indignation‘s compulsively watchable atmosphere is taken to an entirely different level around halfway through, as it’s at that point that Schamus proffers a captivating 16-minute scene detailing a conversation between Marcus and Dean Caudwell – with the increasingly confrontational nature of this sequence (ie it just builds and builds) confirming its place as the movie’s centerpiece and high point. And although the movie is perhaps longer than necessary (ie Roth’s slim novel can’t quite sustain a 110 minute running time), Indignation is an engaging and often haunting drama that benefits substantially from the career-best work of its three central actors.

***1/2 out of ****