Disgrace (2008)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Steve Jacobs

Writers:

J.M. Coetzee (novel)
Anna Maria Monticelli (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 December 2008 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

What is a mad heart?

Plot:

After having an affair with a student, a Cape Town professor moves to the Eastern Cape, where he gets caught up in a mess of post-apartheid politics. |

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Paula Arundell	...	Dr Rasool
Scott Cooper	...	Student
Eriq Ebouaney	...	Petrus
Jessica Haines	...	Lucy
John Malkovich	...	David Lurie
Fiona Press
Monroe Reimers	...	Board member
Charles Tertiens	...	Ryan

Runtime:

Canada:120 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Australia | South Africa

Language:

English | Xhosa | Afrikaans | Zulu

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Fortissimo Films

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The notices in the lecture theater "Mid-term test" and "Casanova - your time is over" appear to have been written by the same person. Given the professionalism adopted by the university in its investigation of Mr Laurie it does not seem plausible to suggest that one person (say, a teacher's aide) wrote both notices.

Story of South Africa

A fifty-something white professor almost forcefully seduces his pretty black student who then breaks the news to his boyfriend. When the whole campus learns of the event, the unapologetic professor resigns and visits his daughter's house in the middle of nowhere in rural Africa.

The life of the professor and her daughter are forever changed after they are brutally attacked in their home by three African teenagers.

The script adapted from Coetzee's novel is plain wonderful, as each character not only is part of a dramatic story but also actors of a wider drama, that of South Africa. After the end of apartheid, rape cases of white woman by blacks had shot up. The movie picks up from there and comments on Africa's bastardized future, where past crimes lead to revenge crimes, where only other crimes force wrongdoers take responsibility and ask for forgiveness.

Directing was good, the movie told the drama with full clarity and efficiency. Acting by John Malkovich was simply great! Eriq Ebouaney was quite good, Jessica Haines as well.

I had watched this movie during Istanbul Film Festival and had the opportunity to attend a question and answer session by Malkovich. It was not about this movie but about him taking the Istanbul Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award and acting in general. I was surprised to see that he was shy and modest person. In real life too, he transmits the big energy that can suddenly come out of calm.