Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
4/4
The Graduate (1967)
worleyjamers - wrote on 06/24/2014
Excellent, excellent, excellent. This brilliant film launched the career of one of Hollywood's greatest actors, Dustin Hoffman. After a few short moments, it's easy to tell why. His performance as Benjamin Braddock is flawless, to say the least. Alongside Hoffman is Anne Bancroft, who also gives a stunning, memorable performance as Mrs. Robinson. Katharine Ross also is convincing as Elaine Robinson.
The best way to describe The Graduate is just that it's so memorable. Every scene is so unique and so different. The scuba-diving scene, Hoffman with the cross at the church, the final bus scene. It's just a joy to watch... The great soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel is also quite nice. If you haven't seen this film, see it. It's wonderful and I cannot recommend it enough.
Rating of
4/4
A condescending creation.
memento_mori - wrote on 09/18/2013
Keeping the human spirit alive can be more complex than one may think.
After all, what is the 'human spirit'? The meaning of life?
Is it to experience unorthodox things more often, to explore the stretchable boundaries of youth, or to rebel against what everyone may think is the right thing for you?
The Graduate may well be the most complicated, over-analyzed and misinterpreted movie ever made, because moviegoers and critics alike talk so many theories into the subject that it becomes clouded.
Precisely because it is so convoluted in terms of life, this movie succeeds in so many ways.
My general perception of the story differs every time I watch this movie, that is why it is such a delight to watch.
Character Benjamin is written with such precise detail and dialogue that by the …
Rating of
3/4
"Mrs Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?"
MovieAddict - wrote on 12/25/2012
21-year-old Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) has just graduated from college and has no clue about what he wants to do with his life. His upper-crust parents mistakenly think that he'll probably go to graduate school, after some much-needed rest and relaxation.
Mrs. Robinson, (Anne Bancroft) the wife of his father's business partner of course had plans of her own. She tries to seduce him, and he eventually lets her, in private liaisons at an upscale downtown hotel. The affair continues on for a while with little problems, that is, until, Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross), the Robinson's college-bound daughter, comes home from Berkeley and Ben suddenly finds some direction for the first in his life since he came home from college. He now knows what he wants because suddenly he's in …
Rating of
3.5/4
The Graduate review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 03/03/2012
Innovative, inspirational and entertaining film that could (and should) have won best picture. "No - I meant with your future, Your life.... Well - that's a little hard to say." Revisiting/reviewing a popular classic since it has been in so many best of movie lists. The scenes with Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) and Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) were memorable.
It had a few dull and prolonged moments which felt like a music video. The plot sustains because of the soundtrack, cinematography and performances all around. The songs fit in perfectly with the mood of the scenes and the screenplay was superb. Some memorable lines: Mr. Robinson - "You'll never be young again" Ben - "My whole life is such a waste." It's themes of a doubtful future, infidelity, seduction, secret …
Rating of
4/4
"Are you here for an affair, sir?"
Arbogast1960 - wrote on 04/05/2008
I can't agree with some of the other comments about the film's dullness. There are certainly a few moments that don't seem especially plot-driven (for example, the wandering around Berkeley set to Scarborough Fair). I feel, however, that these scenes are integral to both the film's story and its overall atmosphere, emphasizing Ben Braddock's aimlessness and terminal ennui (not unlike the famous floating in the swimming pool). Dustin Hoffman is excellent as the disenchanted Ben, as is Katharine Ross as the luminous Elaine. Interestingly, both characters are so vapid and, frankly, boring, one can't imagine ever wanting to have a conversation with them. Meanwhile, Anne Bancroft gives one of the cinema's finest performances as Mrs. Robinson. While at first glance she seems like the …
Rating of
2.5/4
Simon and Garfunkel songs are so irritating
BryanFury - wrote on 01/23/2008
Frankly Dustin Hoffman's acting reminded me a lot of David Schwimmer rather his character from friends “Ross” but only for the first twenty minutes. After He had developed this relationship with Anne Bancroft’s character, he began to change into this dark sort of unhappy person. A very well portrayal if you would ask me. Mrs. Robinson is simply seductive. She definitely gives us men an insight to what older women could offer. I did not really see the relationship between Ben and Elaine or rather it wasn’t developed enough. The last bad thing for me is the annoying sounds of Simon and Garfunkel. Their songs are good at first but then you start to hear them over and over until the end of the film. So they kind of made my head hurt so that’s a bad thing.
Rating of
3/4
The ten best years of American Cinema Starts Here
Gabe - wrote on 09/05/2007
"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?" From there, it just keeps getting better. Mike Nichols, perfectly captures one man, Hoffman, and a country in a transitional period. Dustin Hoffman, is not only caught between an older woman and her daughter but at a crossroads in life. He's just graduated college and he doesn't know what he wants to do. America as a whole was also in a transitional period. It was a time when the old gaurd was coming to terms with the fact that their way wasn't going to work anymore. Protests were popping up everywhere, fighting for civil rights, equal rights, or the Vietnam War. This film, along with Bonnie and Clyde (1967), was also the start of what most consider the best ten years of American cinema, beginning here and ending with Star …
