Rebel in the Rye

For the film's UK release, nearly three years after its limited theatrical unveiling in the US, Spacey has unsurprisingly been scrubbed from its cover art. The same treatment should have been extended to the film itself.

Danny Strong's film suggests dramatic Tetris, and it leeches J.D. Salinger and his process of any mystery.

We see the young Salinger stuck at his desk lighting matches and throwing pages in the garbage. We see his trembling hand hovering above a page. There is sometimes music. When all else fails, there's a montage.

The creative choices made by Danny Strong, in his debut directorial effort, swirl between an engaging warm hug and an indifferent cold shoulder.