Fortunately for his sake, J.D. Salinger was not alive to see “Salinger,” the film that deceivingly promises to delve into his reclusive personal life and writing career.
The film, directed by Shane Salerno (“Savages”), focuses on the hyped legacy and mysterious persona of Salinger after the success of “The Catcher in the Rye.” The result is the cyclical treatment of material that highlights the encroachment of privacy that Salinger had loathed.
The most startling aspect of “Salinger” is the over-dramatization of mundane information through the comically tense music and irrelevant interview accounts. Salerno valiantly attempts to tie all the events together and works in Salinger’s World War II experiences, most notably his distaste for fame culture after witnessing the horrors of concentration camps in Europe.
In addition, the film is executed with a confusing chronology to loosely based conclusions. There are narratives of several past lovers and random actors such as Edward Norton. A fan is even featured who supposedly driven to Salinger’s New Hampshire home to seek his counsel, but ended up sitting in his driveway for most of the day. The effect was slightly creepy and contributed to the extraneous interviews that fluffed insignificant facts and speculations, rendering little to no substance to the film overall.
The creators of “Salinger” were clearly enthusiastic about the writer, but its tabloid-like execution diminished its significant information.
Ultimately, “Salinger” will leave the audience knowing everything about the author that they already know from Wikipedia or their high school English class.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
