Well another film review and another one with Dustin Hoffman and another one that won an academy award. Im reviewing the 1988 hit drama "Rain Man" starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Hoffman's role for this film won him an academy award for best actor and it certainly deserved. Like most films that were made before my time I grew up watching them at a young age, my mum worked for a film marketing company and therefore I was always given a chance to watch all the new films, and some of the old one's. My brother who has seen Rain Man in the cinema, told me that's its one of those films that is an instant classic, it's just something that you would love. I like most mid teenagers, thought it was another one of those drama films with no concept what so ever, I didn't even like it the first time round. It took me at least another 6 or seven years, when I was about 18 that I really enjoyed the film, perhaps this was due to the fact that this film was more for the mature crowd, rather than the little adolescent kid. I was never a big fan of Tom Cruise,
don't know what it is but to this day I just don't like him, didn't say I don't like his movies, but something just didn't feel right about him. Nevertheless, I also thought Cruise did magnificently well playing his character.
Plot:
Charlie Babbitt (Cruise), is a hot shot car salesmen in LA, hes arrogant, verry cunnig and very detremined. Charlie is experinceing some financial difficulties and decides he needs some vacation time with his girlfreind Susanna. However, in the last minute Charlie receives some bad news about his fathers death and thus travels to Cinncinati to go through his fathers belonging and attend the will hearing. Charlie belives he is in for a big pay day, and will soon be able to sort out his financial problems, however he discovers his father had left $3 million to an unamed person, whislt Charlie would only receive a car and some Rose Bushes. A distraught Charlie, tracks down the unamed person to a mental insitiution and soon discovers that the beneficary is infact his autistic brother Raymond (Hoffman). Charlie sees an opportunity to rightfully claim what is his and thus takes Raymond home in order to befreind him and make him his legal responsibility, therby in essence loking after the $3 million. The film follows the emotional journey of these twio brothers with to different lives, Charlie who wants the money and Raymond who simply wants to be a part of something. Does Charlie get the money?
Characters:
Raymond:
For me this is the best role a leading man has done in some time, raymonds charcater was one that was probably very hard for Huffman to portray. The autistic man, with a new found friend, Raymond showed now urgence, he was always portrayed as a slow moving character, with contrast to his brother Charlie. What really made this chracter brilliant was his lack or emotions, he simply didn't have any, he was like a still picture or a ghoust, yet he can communicate effectivly through eye contact, its like his way of saying hello, goodbye and how are you. Raymonds charcater to a certain extent has a bond with Charlie although this isnt visble for say, he finally has someone who he thinks will be with him, to love and care for him, someone other than the nurses and doctors in the hospital.
Charlie: One would be stupid to leave out Tom's role in the movie, he is the exact oppostie of Raymond, he at first has no compassion and no sense of guilt for what he is doing to his brother, this was a general theme of how people can in some cases be cruel to members of society to get what they want. But to be honest the film evolve and develop to an extent that Charlie is the only person who really understabnd his brother, he starts to care for him andshows some serious compassion. A well played out role for Mr Cruise, whos character changes as the film evolves.
For most people this is a film that either you get and like or simply hate, for me it's a likeable film. There are moments were the film can feel dead and slow moving, but perhaps this is due to the nature of Raymonds characters who himself is slow. It's a heart warming film, not wone that makes you cry, but makes you feel sensitiuve and happy about. The film is a reall contrast of two characters and for me it was well written, Hoffman was superb because he was so emotionless it was as if time had stood still for him, his way of thining, moving and acting were brilliant. His had a child like quality to him, someone you would want to nurture and protect from, someone who would be easyly suspeptable to danger by th likes of his brother. Although slow, you got the feelign deep down Raymond was a geniuos, his indivuidal way of thinking may have outside the box, but it was understabdable.
Cast:
Dustin Hoffman Tom Cruise
Budget :$25 million Revenue: $172 million
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Production Year: 1999 - Drama, Thriller - Director: M. Night Shyamalan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Olivia Williams, Glenn Fitzgerald, Mischa Barton, Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
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In his Oscar winning role* Dustin Hoffman joins Hollywood heart-throb Tom Cruise to bring ... more
a funny and moving tale of brotherly love to the screen.Heartless Charlie Babbitt expects a vast inheritance after his estranged father dies. But Raymond, his ins...
Feb 12th, 2008
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