Disgrace

Disgrace is a film that starts so intensely I could hardly believe it. It's at once clear that Disgrace is no murder-case or action type film, not even in the indie version of that. Rather, it begins with sex. This sex is uncomfortable, however, for we have the manipulative and lustful John Malkovich seducing one of his students. They have sex. She tells. Malkovich is outcast immediately. He makes no secret of his affairs, he is at a level above the people he deals with. He believes that he is at such a level of intelligence that they don't even deserve his explanation. Malkovich evokes the image of a devious and sick man. Then the movie shifts gears, and Malkovich is now living in Australia with his lesbian daughter. One day, he is attacked by aborigines. They pour him with gasoline and then light him on fire. He nearly dies, and in his distress, they rape his daughter. Now Malkovich is humbled by absolute evil. He tries to understand, to fight back. But his daughter strangely wants to forget it all. He cannot understand. He is incapable. Disgrace is a film so concerned with this character that it seeps with the power of Malkovich. His character is immediately convincing and we move from listening to a story to analyzing in from within. Disgrace is a complicated and intriguing film. It's about racism and moving on, one of the best films of 2009.
Disgrace: ★★★★