isaacthe Review of Indignation

Indignation (2016)

Good acting. A lot good as a production. Movie couldn't commit to a theme

[6/10 · 24 January 2019]

Starts with openings. Only one was necessary. Takes a bit because of this to really get into what the film is really about. And what is it about, truly? I've never read the book so forgive me maybe missing a thing. I heard "life is a sum of consequences of the many choices you make" Okay, so that's the theme? Maybe. The movie isn't sold on that. So is it about the oppressiveness of culture, institutional religion, dangers of being open minded in the 50's? Maybe, they're surely all in there. Although it's not always clear which side the writer wants us to be on, (which I'm fine with. I actually applaud the writer for leaving debate and issues more realistically open and fairly stated) The ending is expectedly ambiguous as to be expected with festival seeking cinema. Gotta be edgy right? But it seemed like a dark ending for purely that sake, not because it actually was edgy or thought provoking, further than, "what was her last name at the end?" It skipped certain plot point scenes yet had scenes like the two unnecessary preopening scenes. I'd still call this a "good film", it just seemed like a new writer with a long successful career ahead. The kind he/she looks back on and learned from the mistakes. But what the hell do I know. They don't pay me the big bucks.