Who is the Audience for This Movie?

People who like racy dramas.

What I Liked About This Movie

Opening the movie with an uncomfortable situation in which Benjamin must deal with a house full of guests asking about his future when he himself is confused about it really jump starts the movie. It probably helped that the editing during the opening sequence is so tight that you actually get the disorienting feeling the character is going through.

Being a Hollywood movie about seduction I was expecting a tame treatment of a very steamy subject. It was nice too see that I was wrong (I actually like when I am) because The Graduate has an incredibly tense and perfectly crafted build up to the dirty deed of the movie.

Seeing Dustin Hoffman as a young man was kind of jarring considering I am so use to seeing him in his later roles but he does a great job in a very complicated role. It’s a shame that when people mention who the greatest actors in Hollywood are his name is rarely mentioned. To tail end his great performance along with that of the other actors in the movie The Graduate perfectly utilizes a now classic song by Paul Simon aptly named Mrs.Robinson.

What Didn’t Work For Me

After seeing this movie pop up in the American Film Institutes top 100 I had too at least give it a watch. I mine as well say it right off the bat that I think that my expectations were to high which lead to me being sorely disappointed by this movie. The first section of the movie is so incredibly solid that it hurt to watch the movie take a slow nose dive to its ridiculous finale.

If I were to state what dampened the movie the most for me I would say that the relationship between Benjamin and the daughter is not nearly as interesting or as well executed as the relationship between Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson. Gone was a tightly wound borderline uncomfortable relationship to be sorely replaced by an unbelievable series of events that somehow end in love.

Should You Watch This Movie?

Since I only really liked half of the movie it is fitting to give it a middle of the road score.

My Rating (Out of 13)