6 of 10
Cinematography by John Seale
Dustin Hoffman
Tom Cruise
Valeria Golino
Gerald R. Molen
Michael D. Roberts
"Go back to Walbrook, stay with Charlie Babbitt."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Rain Man 6 of 10 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Directed by Barry Levinson Cinematography by John Seale Dustin Hoffman Tom Cruise Valeria Golino Gerald R. Molen Michael D. Roberts |
|||||||
| The film that finally got Levinson his Best Picture Oscar. Unfortunately, quite a bit less deserving than either Wag the Dog or The Natural, at least in my mind. His directing can only be described as tepid, especially in comparison to some of his other works. Seriously, how can you not at least make a good film with Hoffman and Cruise in it? The challenge here is for him to move beyond simply a good film, and Levinson comes up short on that. Seale's visuals, which I have greatly enjoyed in the past, are also pretty bland. However, the acting is inspired; Raymond Babbitt is probably one of the most famous characters in film history. Hoffman was excellent, and may have deserved the Oscar � although I don�t think it�s as hard to act crazy or retarded as most people seem to think. But it was Cruise, in my mind, who really stole the show. Once again, he holds his own in a fine, nuanced role. And this time he is able to do it alongside one of the greatest scene stealers ever. Watching him slowly come to realize what a gem he actually has in his brother is really great stuff. One other little thing: Bonnie Hunt is listed high in the credits. She has about 2 minutes of screen time. It irritates me when that happens. Just because you're famous doesn't mean you should be listed even if you don't do anything. All in all, some fine performances and a fine � if slightly preachy � story. But the trimmings are pretty forgettable. "Go back to Walbrook, stay with Charlie Babbitt." |
|||||||