Some smart dialogue here and there and hopkins is fun to watch as always but that doesn't pull this film into safe zone, infact...the story is so boring that the only thing you remember as you exit the theatre is the price you paid for the ticket. ed harris, still feeling a bit upset over loosing his well deserved oscar to some other fella in his best performance as jackson pollock, tries to remain calm in front of a film camera; yet his eyes are telling us a different story..."he wants an oscar" unfortunatelly for him, this film not only will not get anyone an oscar, it deserves a brand new type of award by boring the audience to death. gary sinise seems like he is "doing his job" which is admirable, but the fact that he is an "actor" and not a stage technician, makes him stand around there like a...well...gary sinise. nicole kidman, still shaken by her memories from the film "hours" portray's a similar role to virginia wolfe, meaning "head down, smoke alot and cry" for some wild reason the academy thought that was oscar worthy...well, this one aint. the title might suggest that this film is about monica levinsky, its not...so don't waste your time.… Expand

Okay. This movie is clearly flawed in a few critical aspects. The directing is often choppy and suffers from trying to let the actors breathe life into far too much dialogue. BUT, the story here is fascinating ... one the delves into the depths of racism that mainstream Hollywood so often ignores. The performances are solid, especially Harris and Kidman. If you are someone interested in social justice themes, you will enjoy this ethical dilemma.… Expand

[***PLOT REVELATIONS***] Wow, its very rare that i see a film do so many things wrong. I wasn't going to give this away but Richard S. already did, so i suppose its okay. So Anthony Hopkins is supposed to be part African American??? Ha, yeah right! Not from the way his parents and the rest of his family look. The more i think about it the more absurd it seems. Yes, Anthony Hopkins as Coleman Silk is one of the most micasted roles ever. If this wasn't bad enough, the rest of the film is miscast as well! Nicole Kidman, usually a great actress, gives off the most strained, unconvincing, and annoying performance i've ever seen her in. Gary Sinise is completely wasted in this movie. His character has no depth or development, and he mostly just stands there in his scenes or mutters some stilted dialogue. Hopkins and Kidman have absolutely ZERO on screen chemistry and their romantic relationship isn't convincing at all. The way they first meet each other is about as contrived as possible. The actual story of this movie contains many plot points that don't mesh well together, are completely unneeded, or are far too coincidental to be believable. The film's conclusion, for example, was so laughable and silly i actually laughed out loud; it was at this time that i realized how much i actually hated this movie. Even with all these awful flaws, i would have to say the film's absolute worst crime is that it fails to entertain and keep our interest for the majority of the film. By the time it was halfway through, i was fighting myself to finish this sucker off and not turn off the DVD. A very boring film, this is.Please avoid at all costs, thanks.… Expand

I have already posted a review for this film before, but I would like to add that Rachel Portman's music here is fantastic and very overlooked since most people were either criticizing the script or the acting (which they had every right to do of course). The score that plays in the end credits is some of the most beautiful film music I've heard all year. Even if you didn't like the film, give the soundtrack a listen.… Expand

An interesting if sluggishly intense drama about the damage people inflict on each other when they are unable to defer action and await clarity. A noble effort, and there is a great moral in this story about the insidiousness of racism, but it was overshadowed by the realization that this movie was about interesting things happening to dull people.

[***SPOILER***] I wanted to like this movie. Really. But I felt as if I was watching two different movies spliced together, rather than one complete whole. The plot involving the protagonist's racial secret was underdeveloped; there was no real reason for his decision to "pass for white", thereby abandoning his mother and siblings in the process. What was his motivation for such a major life decision? With regard to the love affair with the character played by Nicole Kidman, okay, why not? But what did it have to do with the main character's racial identification? Maybe it would have all been more believable if the female protagonist was played by an African American woman, and the main character comes full circle late in life and reestablishes his love for his race when he falls in love with her. I know, however, that isn't what the author, Philip Roth wrote. Anyway, overall, a disappointment.… Expand

One point each for two great actors? Okay I can't add, but minus 1 point for a movie that sucked. It's over in the first 15 minutes. What you see is what you get and it never changes. Sucked.

Excellent!

Total bore, completely miscast, terrible script right up there w/Mystic River. Did have fun completely ripping it apart though.

[***PLOT REVELATIONS***] The scores for this film are far too low. I found the film to be haunting and quite moving. Anthony Hopkins is NOT miscast as black man passing himself as white. The whole point of the casting is that people aren't suppose to be able to tell he's black. This is a story of a man who spends his ENTIRE adult life fooling both intimate friends and passing acquaintances. The DVD is OK but doesn't have all the bells and whistles. I guess Miramax wasn't willing to spend the money on a movie which failed at the box-office.… Expand

Very bad movie - I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. If you like watching older men lay in bed with much younger women for 2 hours, watch this movie.

Resplendant.

This movie had surprising depth that I was not prepared for. Although the casting did seem out of place, I enjoyed the storyline, especially Silk's dilemma regarding his family and passing as white. It was a surprise twist in the film and well worth the wait.

Nicole Kidman what a star!!!! She is wonderful in this role!!! 10/10 i think its oscar number 2 for Miss Kidman or at the least her 3rd straight nomination.

Good Movie, but it's neither well constructed nor well directed. A 10 for Nicole Kidman. What a great performance!

Okay, okay, Hopkins and Kidman are not what you might expect re casting. But they are excellent, and the movie is fully absorbing and thought-provoking. I found it two hours very well spent.

Nicole and Hopkins were completely miscast. There was no chemistry on film. The film also ended as it started with nothing in between. The story lack any beef. Like a Big MAc you still want to eat more, there was nothing there. Hopkins recently said there was a movie he wish he hadn't acted in.. I think this was it.