Review of Disgrace (2008) by Sridhar V — 05 Sep 2009

In evaluating the film independent of its source material (J.M Coetzee's Booker Prize winning novel of the same name), Disgrace starts off with a fairly uneven narrative pace and settles into a poignant drama that viewers unfamiliar with racial dynamics in South Africa during the days of apartheid will find challenging to buy into, particularly towards the final third.

John Malkovich, who's made a niche for himself playing sophisticated characters with devious leanings (Ripley's Game for instance) once again excels in his role as the voyeuristic professor David Lurie, who relocates out of Cape Town to live with his daughter after uncouthly making a move on one of his students; a move that turns his life over its head in more ways than one. His performance is complemented well by Jessica Haines as his estranged daughter, and the interplay between the two makes this otherwise languid film worth investing your time in.

Avoid if you don't like weighty character dramas, and have some Kleenex handy if you're sold on them.