(L-R) Actors Philip Ettinger, Noah Robbins, Linda Emond and Logan Lerman, Director/Writer/Producer James Schamus, and actors Sarah Gadon, Danny Burstein, Pico Alexander and Ben Rosenfeld attend the 'Indignation' New York premiere at the Museum of Modern A (Photo : Getty Images / Michael Loccisano)
The 2008 Philip Roth book adaptation "Indignation," released in select theaters on July 29, Friday, has film industry veteran James Schamus directing for the first time. Schamus has been part of the film industry for long as the Focus Features CEO until 2013. He has been supporting projects like "The Kids are All Right," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Lost in Translation." He worked as a close collaborator of filmmaker Ang Lee and was screenwriter of Oscar-winning projects like "Hidden Dragon," "Hulk" and "Crouching Tiger."
Schamus' directorial debut movie has its story taking place in the 1950s, and about a Jewish man Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman) who leaves his home in New Jersey to attend college in Ohio. There he met Olivia (Sarah Gadon) while dealing with the college's dean over a requirement to attend church.
Messner is a promising young man in Roth's Newark. He was attending the funeral of a high school pal, who had been killed during the Korean War.
The title "Indignation" is Messner's state who justifies himself to everyone, including the dean of students (Tracy Letts). Moving very slowly, the film's action consists of two or more people engaging in an impassioned and ever-deepening conversation, according to Roger Ebert review.
Schamus proved to be a natural director whose confidence behind the camera and aesthetic reinforces the thematic undercurrents of the film. The movie is enrapturing, enthralling and an elegant coming-of-age story that features Lerman's performance. While reporters were all-praises for his work, Schamus appreciates it though he knows jobs can be at times praised, and sometimes criticized.
In "Indignation," Lerman showed a great range of his acting though he has always been a terrific actor. The director was asked of his conversations with the actor.
"He's an A, he's crew-approved, crew loves him because he's such a nice guy, and that was an issue," Schamus told Collider in a phone interview. "But for me as a first time director, it was a blessing to have somebody especially who was in every scene there who was a collaborator who was such a nice person."
The director said they had Lerman focused solely on the script for months, and not on his characters. The actor asked questions while being assigned with tons of homework.
The 2013 "Hulk" was brought up to Schamus who admitted that it was the bad object of Lee and him, with its little theme. Though more profitable than "The Incredible Hulk," and with user ratings nearly similar to many other Marvel films, it had that bad egg quality.
Check the "Indignation" trailer below.
