Rainman

22 October 2018

Rainman 1988

• Director: Barry Levinson
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R Molen, Michael D Roberts, Beth Grant
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey, The Holiday, Stranger than Fiction, Finding Neverland, Moonlight Mile, Jeanne d’Arc, Hero, Hook, Billy Bathgate, Dick Tracey, Tootsie, Kramer vs Kramer, All the Presidents Men, Lenny Bruce, Papillon, Straw Dogs, Little Big Man, John and Mary, Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate
• Tom Cruise – Edge of Tomorrow, Oblivion, Valkyria, War of the Worlds, Eyes Wide Shut, Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July, Cocktail, The Colour of Money
• Beth Grant – No Country for Old Men, Factory Girl, Little Miss Sunshine, Six Feet Under, Donnie Darko, A Thousand Acres, I Know My Name Is Steven
• Why? Good film
• Seen: Once before, possibly twice. Now 20 October 2018

             Arrogant selfish hot shot Lamborghini salesman Charlie (Cruise) cares for nothing but money and he goes to his father’s funeral though he hated him, just to get his inheritance.  To his shock his father has left him a vintage Buick and a rose garden.  The estate, worth millions, has gone to a brother Charlie didn’t even know he had. The brother Raymond (Hoffman) is in an institution for the mentally disabled. He’s an autistic savant. It’s essentially impossible to communicate with him, he gets upset at the least disturbance to his routine and repeatedly mutters to himself.

       Charlie is determined to have the money. He more or less kidnaps Raymond and starts driving him cross country.  The journey doesn’t go quite as Charlie had imagined it.

       It’s the ultimate Odyssey of the Absurd. Both Cruise and Hoffman offer the best roles of their careers. Well, maybe Hoffman was better in Midnight Cowboy but for this one he got a deserved Oscar.

       It’s an oldish film but it holds up. If you haven’t seen it, see it. It’s quite good.

3 ½ * of 5