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Alan Pakula has re-created the powerful moments of William Styron's novel, but he hasn't made a film: the picture is completely devoid of cinematic interest, adopting instead a tiresome theatrical aesthetic in which showy monologues are filmed in interminable, usually ill-chosen long takes. Surprisingly for Pakula, the directorial choices throughout are banal and conservative: once again we are given a vision of Auschwitz as a hellish other world, safely removed in time, space, and color intensity from our own. Meryl Streep, in a cloud of technique, is completely opaque as the charismatic camp survivor, though Peter MacNicol is refreshingly honest as the young southern writer who falls under her spell. With Kevin Kline (1982). By Dave Kehr

Sorry there are no showtimes for Sophie's Choice on Wednesday, May 16.

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4.2 out of 5

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Streep was opaque? MacNicol was good? Te movie was bad? WHO WROTE THAT REVIEW!!! Sophie's Choice is, for a good reason, in the AFI list of the best 100 movies in history........and Streep performance is considered the best female performance ever. And MacNicol was the only rotten point in this gem. Really, is this review a joke?

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Posted by JohnCks on 09/15/2009 at 10:05 AM

This has to be one of the most snooty capsule reviews I've ever read. Of course everyone has the right to his/her opinion, but I can't help but wonder if the reviewer has some impossibly restrictive parameters as to which films are and are not "devoid of cinematic interest." Surely "Sophie's Choice" is not a perfect movie (it is indeed quite theatrical and conservative in its shots and its sets), but in my view it MOST DEFINITELY has cinematic interest. Chicago's own Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars, for goodness sake, and Premiere Magazine recently ranked Streep's performance as Sophie as the third best film performance OF ALL TIME. The movie also showcases a nearly flawless performance by Kevin Kline. If for no other reasons than these, you should ignore the cut and dry nature of this grumpy review and give the film a shot. I can't guarantee that you'll love every minute of it--but I think I can safely guarantee that after watching it, you'll find much to admire and respect in the presentation of a complex, poignant and very memorable story.

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Posted by Eric D on 02/14/2010 at 4:01 AM
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