Papillon (1973)

Last December I finally bought and read Henri Charrière's autobiography Papillon. I wasn't crazy about it at first and I only kept reading because it was damn expensive and I didn't want to waste money like that. Eventually, it grew on me and I ended up loving it. So when I learnt there was a movie based on it, starring no less than Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, I knew I had to watch it. I've been putting it off ever since because of its length. I wouldn't have missed much if I kept putting it off as Franklin J. Schaffner's Papillon isn't that memorable. 

The film follows Henri Charrière (Steve McQueen), also known as Papillon, who, wrongly convicted of murdering a pimp, is sentenced to life and imprisoned in the penal colony in French Guyana. On his voyage there, he meets Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman), a forger who sold fake government bonds. Degas has enemies, Papillon vows to protect him and, over the years, with Degas's help, he attempts to escape many times, despite solitary confinement being the punishment.

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)

When I first saw The Meyerowitz Stories on Netflix, I decided I would pass it because of Adam Sandler. He's always so annoying and his movies are always so stupid, I didn't want to waste time watching it. Then Kevin over Speaks in Movie Lines spoke highly of it (and Sandler's performance) so I absolutely had to check it out. And I'm glad I did because it was a real joy to watch.

It tells the stories of three estranged siblings, Danny (Adam Sandler), Jean (Elizabeth Marvel) and Matt (Ben Stiller), that reunite when their bitter ageing father (Dustin Hoffmann) gets hospitalized and try to figure out how to step out from their father's shadow and live their own lives.

Rain Man (1988)

Genre

Drama

Director

Barry Levinson

Country

USA

Cast

Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen, Jack Murdock, Michael D. Roberts, Ralph Seymour, Lucinda Jenney, Bonnie Hunt, Beth Grant, Ray Baker, Barry Levinson

Plot

As his father dies, self-centered Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) learns that a $3 million estate is going to his savant brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) that Charlie didn't know he had.

All the President's Men (1976)

Genre

History | Thriller

Director

Alan J. Pakula

Country

United States

Cast

Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Meredith Baxter, Ned Beatty, Stephen Collins, Penny Fuller, Robert Walden, Frank Wills, F. Murray Abraham, David Arkin, Henry Calvert, Dominic Chianese, Ron Hale, Polly Holliday, James Karen, Basil Hoffman

Plot

In June 1972, a security guard (Frank Wills, playing himself) at the Watergate complex finds a door kept unlocked with tape. He calls the police, who find and arrest five burglars in the Democratic National Committee headquarters within the complex. The Washington Post assigns reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) to cover the story. They uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Nixon's resignation.

Opinion
Based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, All the President's Men is a fantastic political thriller and a good reconstruction of the journalistic investigation on the Watergate that caused quite a stir in the United States.
Conspiracy film specialist Alan J. Pakula's direction is flawless. Supported by the charming and charismatic Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman shows off his great acting skills.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Ben Bradlee: All non-denial denials. They doubt our ancestry, but they don't say the story isn't accurate.

Harry Rosenfeld: When you've got 'em by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

Ben Bradlee: You know the results of the latest Gallup Poll? Half the country never even heard of the word Watergate. Nobody gives a shit. You guys are probably pretty tired, right? Well, you should be. Go on home, get a nice hot bath. Rest up... 15 minutes. Then get your asses back in gear. We're under a lot of pressure, you know, and you put us there. Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys fuck up again, I'm going to get mad. Goodnight.

Rating

9.0/10