Written by
Smitha Joseph
Review for the film "
American Pastoral 2016"
Runtime:
01 Hour 48 Minutes
CAST & CREW
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American Pastoral
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is an English-language film released in 2016 based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth. Directed by Ewan McGregor, it stars McGregor himself along with Rupert Evans,
Uzo Aduba
Uzo Aduba is a well recognized Hollywood actress. >> Read More...
,
Jennifer Connelly
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and others. The film revolves around a couple whose life falls apart when their daughter becomes a suspect in criminal activity.Â
Plot
The film begins with a high school reunion party where two old friends, Nathan Zuckerman and Jerry Levov, are catching up with each other. They talk about Jerry's late older brother, Swede Levov, who had died recently after suffering a long illness. The film then goes into a flashback.
Swede Levov is the son of the Jewish glovemaker Lou Levov. He falls in love with the Roman Catholic Dawn Dwyer, and after much convincing, their parents approve of their marriage. The two of them have a daughter, Merry, and the family settles on a farm in Old Rimrock.Â
Merry is a bright but eccentric child and struggles with a stutter her entire childhood. She is deeply affected by the politics around her, such as the Vietnam War, the self-immolation of Thich Quang Durc, etc, and is inspired by the ideologies of Anarchism. She itches to take initiative and do something, often taking part in anti-war protests.Â
One day, a post office in Old Rimrock is destroyed, and the owner killed, by a bomb blast. In addition to this, Merry is nowhere to be seen. Her sudden disappearance chalks her up as one of the FBI's prime suspects. The film revolves around the life of Dawn and Swede as they find out the reality of their daughter and learn to live with it, as well as the story of Merry, all surrounded by the landscape of America in the 60s.
Star PerformanceÂ
The lead character of the film is Ewan McGregor, who plays the role of Seymour "Swede" Levov. He is a simple man, the golden boy, always looking to help others. Ewan McGregor has portrayed his character mostly well, showing a sincerity that is essential to a character like Swede. However, he lacks the charm that is also essential to Swede's character.Â
The character of Dawn is played by Jennifer Connelly. Dawn is a confident beauty queen whose strength, resilience and honesty is what motivated Swede's father to let Swede marry her. Jennifer Connelly shines in this role, bold and somewhat provocative.Â
Merry is played by
Dakota Fanning
The gorgeous 5 feet 4 inches 21 years old Hannah D >> Read More...
. She brings in every quirky aspect of Merry's character, her wildness, her radical mindset, her headstrong personality -- and delivers it to perfection. There is a craziness to Merry's character that is nailed by Fanning.
AnalysisÂ
American Pastoral has a solid plot. It is based on the award-winning series of the same name by Philip Roth and has all the thrill of the charged political atmosphere of America in the 1960s. It is a truly exciting plot, but its execution certainly raises questions.
Firstly, it's not an adequate representation of the novel. Philip Roth's work is characterized by emotional depth as well as sarcasm and bitter observations of the world. The film seems like an almost obligatory retelling of the novel, where the scenes are simply playing on one after the other without any semblance of meaningfulness.Â
There are points of the film that are strong. One of them being the ardent disagreements between Swede and Merry that are steeped in ideological differences, one liberal and one far left, with both sides reeking with the feeling of ideological superiority. The character of Rita Cohen (played by Valorie Curry) is another interesting addition. Her character is shady and exciting. Throughout the film, there are many subtle but deep moments that warrant reflection.Â
Still, American Pastoral is overly dull. The dialogue is generally drab, and the director fails to channel the almost electric atmosphere of the 1960s into a two-hour film. The cinematography doesn't help. The landscaping is too simple and portrays a very "American dream" kind of reality, whereas the movie necessitates a more charged environment filled with riots, protests, and loud slogans that could be heard across the country.Â
What's There?
What's Not There?
Verdict
American Pastoral had the potential to be a banger of a film. The scene of 1960s America can be a landscape to a cinematic masterpiece, but the filmmakers fail to use up all of its potential. Nonetheless, it is still a somewhat entertaining watch, especially if your interest lies in such genres. Â
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Drama
Phillip Noyce
01 Hour 48 Minutes
27-10-2016
Ewan Mcgregor, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning
Plot revolves around Drama, etc.
2.5
3.47
No, it's rated A
No, it will be available soon on Amazon Prime Video
John Romano
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