The world’s obsession with J.D. Salinger has always been there. Perhaps the fact that so little of his work was ever published is a part of it. Perhaps it’s the fact that the press and readers graced him with such high praise early on in his career (possibly prematurely). Perhaps it’s the enigmatic label that he put upon himself.
REBEL IN THE RYE touches on many of these issues but in a rather soft-handed, unoffensive way. Most importantly, it shows J.D. Salinger at his worst – an ego-centric and tenacious singular voice. His dedication to his voice is only matched by his determination to let it be heard. Even after his death in January 2010, we still can’t stop talking about the infamous man and what made him tick.
The 2013 documentary SALINGER attempted to piece together the writer’s life, thoughts, and personal quirks into an eye-opening film – yet, missing the mark by quite a bit – and REBEL IN THE RYE fairs about the same, though possibly slightly better due to a committed performance. Nicholas Hoult crafts a character that falls in line with the modern label, “The Softboy.” This is someone that is emotive but emotionally inept. He’s complicated but calculated. He can shift from being the intellectual to the bad boy on a dime. Hoult gives voice to these many different facets, but creating something that is complex doesn’t mean that it feels real or very likable.
During an interview earlier in the film, a lady asks the writer what the J.D. stands for. He nonchalantly responds, “Juvenile delinquent.” This bad boy posturing in between playing the martyr in both the classroom with his instructor (played in predictable fashion by Kevin Spacey) and with the ladies becomes tired and… dare I say… phony.
Phony is a word used brazenly in Salinger’s book, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, and one that best describes the film’s attempts at capturing any real spontaneous moments of genius that may have inspired his writing. Montage after montage is shown of him writing and smoking cigarettes all set to the internal monologues from the book. It seems to go through the motions of his life instead of trying to discover a form of truth.
“Are you willing to devote your life to writing without getting anything in return?” That question posed by Spacey’s character lingers heavily throughout the film. While the story follows Salinger’s search to be published, in the end, there’s the realization that publishing might have been his biggest downfall. It’s a bittersweet, ironic message to learn – almost Shakespearean, in a sense. But it’s an authentic realization that gets lost in a sea of melodrama and phony theatrics.
Overall rating: 2 out of 5
REBEL IN THE RYE opens at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema on Sept. 15th and is now playing in select theaters
