With his adaptation of The Human Stain, director Robert Benton managed to "drain the colour from Philip Roth's complex novel". Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman are caught in a tangle of secrets and lies in a romance that mirrors the hypocrisy prevalent in all aspects of modern American life. Unfortunately, critics and audiences were almost unanimously nonplussed by this soggy rendering.

Stubborn Stains

The behind-the-scenes featurette offered here is, frankly, painful to watch. Punctuated by staccato soundbites, it's as if cast and crew are at a loss for things to say. Of the director, Anthony Hopkins can only bring himself to effuse, "Robert Benton is surely the kindest director I've ever worked with." Kidman, meanwhile, coos, "He's such a sweetheart!"

Benton returns the compliment - while also managing to shift the blame - when he says, "The lifeblood of this movie are the actors. If this movie works, it's because of the performances." And if it doesn't work... However, he also assures us that he's "learned a lot from directing this movie", but declines to share any of these newfound insights ie there is no audio commentary.

Shoot Me

Cinematographer Jean Yves Escoffier died of heart failure shortly after The Human Stain was completed (everyone's a critic!) so a short - and we do mean short - tribute is also included on this disc. Essentially this is a montage of behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot, cobbled together with scenes from Good Will Hunting, which make for rather disorientating viewing. Furthermore, instead of a eulogy from colleagues and friends, the whole thing is overlaid with Rachel Portman's wallpaper soundtrack to The Human Stain. In short it's a lazy effort, which pretty much sums up this DVD release.

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