रेन मैन

Well, it took me 21 years to watch this movie.Literally, the first time when I saw this movie was when it was released and I was back then a kid of 9 years who barely could understand the delicacy of human characters portrayed in the movie.And finally when I watched the movie again, I was 30 and boy oh boy,I was blown over.What a performance by Dustin Hoffman!!!Is it his best so far?Well, may not be, coz he is such a fine actor and he has so many good movies in his kitty.But truly it was one of his most memorable ones.And Tom Cruise, oh man, this bloke can act.I have always been so much skeptic about his acting skills.But I am happy that I have been proved wrong.He can act, thats for sure and this movie is a documentary proof of it.The best thing about this movie is of course the chemistry between them, a spoilt brat and an autistic person.The director handles such an issue with such panache that you are compelled to emote with the protagonists.Valeria Golino did an excellent job in her small role.She really sparkled in the elevator scene.The rest of the cast did a fine job, too.Overall, it is a memorable movie backed by power house performances.Don't ever take the risk of missing it.

Tom Cruise stars as a used car salesman, who is angry when his father's inheritance is left to his older autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman), whose existence had not been revealed to him.

The film is built around its two assured central performances. Hoffman gives an excellent portrayal of a man with autism, totally unable to comprehend the real world around him. Cruise is no less impressive. While he is essentially playing to type, his character's attitude changes so gradually throughout the film that you barely notice, and without Cruise's subtle performance this transformation would be much less credible.

This is a highly commendable film, which, despite tackling a tricky subject, refuses to succumb to sentimentality. In giving autism such publicity, the film has hopefully helped to lessen the stigma brought on by ignorance of this condition.

Rain Man's great success is that it shows the way forward for issue driven movies in Hollywood. Its success at the box office demonstrates that taking a risk can pay off in spades, provided that the film is good enough.

I was thinking of the way different movies seem to be good. Some have lots of action, others a bunch of special-effects. But then it strikes you, that what represents real depth, real quality is when a movie can be good without those features. When it's the dialogue, the story and the acting that strikes you. This film has really only two characters, all others play only minor roles (Cruise's girlfriend has some importance though). Two characters basically, and one dialogue - that's all you need when you've got a script as good as this, and two such great actors. Only that is brilliant. But this film also has such fine, very true episodes, small stories in the larger film. One example is when Ray watches court TV with the working class woman and her many children out in the countryside...it's such a fine picture, just outstanding. ALL IN ALL A GREAT FILM!

I have to say that this is Tom and Dustin's best performances by far. They are such a wonderful duo together. I love seeing how Tom reacts to Dustin's character. Two brothers, one being successful and the other mentally challenged, are finally reunited. They both learn how to live with each other and eventually learn to love each other. As for a best picture, I wasn't too sure. But the actors will impress you. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It has wonderful characters and some great laughs. But also some very touching moments. You really have to like this movie. It's too memorable to miss.

8/10

It is something of a great cinematic achievement that Rain Man became the great film it clearly is because the story surrounding it is interestingly Hollywood in itself.

Four directors, six screenwriters, two cinematographers, eight producers, writers strikes, crew change, and a studio fighting for its life.

All of the above are common knowledge but it doesn't hurt to remember these facts when viewing the award wining triumph of a movie that stands the test of time today. The film is so simple in structure it really needed something special to pull it out of the prospective banality of being "just another road movie about finding oneself", Rain Man achieves something special by tackling its subjects with very sensitive hands and splicing a believable human concept into the story via the incredible shows from its two leading men.

Dustin Hoffman gives a magical moving performance as the Autistic Savant Raymond, the ultimate complement I can pay the performance is that it really is believable, both moving and clever rolled into one artistic result. Tom Cruise is equally as great in a role that called for drastic layer changes, a role that demanded much conviction from the actor taking it on, and Cruise gives the role much depth as he goes from shallow bastard to a very emotive and feeling human being, it's a great show that stands up to reevaluation these days. A performance that seems to have sadly been forgotten in light of Hoffman's film stealing show. With a film such as this you pray that the ending can do it justice, and I'm glad to say that there is no pandering here, it's an ending that says so much because it doesn't cop out, I thank god for those rewrites because the endings to the original scripts would of had me booting the TV set out of the window.

Essential cinema. 10/10