The Graduate (1967)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Mike Nichols

Country

USA

Cast

Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton, Elizabeth Wilson, Buck Henry, Walter Brooke, Brian Avery, Norma Fell, Marion Lorne, Alice Ghostley, Eddra Gale

Storyline

After successfully completing college, Ben (Dustin Hoffman) returns home where is soon seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). The two start an affair, but soon Ben falls in love with Elaine (Katharine Ross), Mrs. Robinson's daughter.

Opinion

Who doesn't know Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson"? But was the song made popular by the film or was the film made popular by the song? I don't know, and frankly it doesn't even matter because both the song and the film are great.

That being said, "The Graduate" is a great film that should be watched by everyone, because even though it has lost his relevance today, it still is wonderful and defining film of a generation.

This film is such a classic I doubt there is someone who doesn't know the plot to the film. Anyway, it may appear simple at first sight - in a nutshell a young man has a relationship both with mother and daughter - but the film does go beyond that. It indeed does so much more, like highlighting, in a very beautiful way, the fragility of an American society heavily based on facade values.

At the time of the film's release, back in 1968, "The Graduate" was probably seen as a transgressive movie because it shamed the hypocritical and conformist society where basically everyone lived in, but today, like I said before, it has lost part of his relevance. Unfortuntately, that kind of society still exists nowadays, but there are MILFs and toy-boys at every corner, so it takes a lot more to scandalize - see Lars von Tier's "Nymphomaniac".

On the "technical" side, everything still works beautifully today. Mike Nichols direction is smooth and creates the right balance between drama and comedy. The soundtrack is on of the biggest accomplishments of the film - it is so good saying it's great it's offensive - and it wonderfully enhances Ben's moods throughout the film.

And Dustin Hoffman, man what a performance! In his first big role, he does a brilliant job with the complex character of Ben. And he also manages to be funny. Anne Bancroft is delightful as Mrs. Robinson and handles the whole seduction thing beautifully.

Manhattan (1979)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Woody Allen

Country

USA

Cast

Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne, Michael O'Donoghue, Wallace Shawn, Karen Ludwig

Storyline

The life of Isaac Davis (Woody Allen), a divorced writer of TV shows dating a 17-year-old girl (Mariel Hemingway), is further complicated when he meets Mary (Diane Keaton), the mistress of his married best friend Yale (Michael Murphy).

Opinion

Woody Allen once said, "I'm never happy with my films when I finish them. Just about always. And in the case of Manhattan I was so disappointed that I didn't want to open it. I wanted to ask United Artists not to release it. I wanted to offer them to make one free movie, if they would just throw it away." Isn't life odd? The film that has disappointed Allen so much is one of his most beloved and successful films, acclaimed both by critics and audience.

Beautiful, delightful and humorous, "Manhattan" is one of the best romantic comedies ever made as well as a stunning ode to New York City.

Woody Allen made another masterpiece whose main theme is the crisis of the intellectual and his inadequacy to the society he lives in, the problems of ineptitude and the inability of the protagonist to managed his own inner, sentimental life. Isaac, a writer always looking for inspiration, doesn't seem to find the opening words for his book and spends entire days taking notes, at the mercy of love and of a city he loves so much but seems unable to live in.

What makes "Manhattan" such a great film is also its complex, neurotic and verbose characters, who all just want to love and to be loved in return. Because of its characters, it is a film everyone can identify with: if on the one hand there is the inept, Isaac, on the other hand there is the winner, Yale, who is able to live in the world that surrounds him, that's why he is a winner.

As mentioned before, the film is also a spectacular ode to New York. In fact, the gorgeous black and white cinematography by Gordon Willis manages on several occasions to make the Big Apple look like the most fascinating city in the whole world, beauty even more enhanced by the first minutes of the film, when the city wakes up to the tune of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".

As for the acting, it might be the best of any Allen film. Woody Allen does great with his usual stand-up persona and allowing the character of Isaac to be more than just neurotic and narcissistic. Michael Murphy also does a great job as Yale, able to command our sympathy for the most unlikable character in the film. Diane Keaton gives one of her best performances as the intellectual and whimsical Mary. 

My analyst warned me, but you were so beautiful I got another analyst. - Isaac Davis

Amores perros (2000)

Genre

Drama | Thriller

Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Country

Mexico

Cast

Gael García Bernal, Álvaro Guerrero, Goya Toledo, Vanessa Bauche, Emilio Echevarría, Jorge Salinas, Marco Pérez, Rodrigo Murray, Humberto Busto, Gerardo Campbell, Rosa María Bianchi, Dunia Saldívar, Adriana Barraza, José Sefami, Lourdes Echevarría

Storyline

Three stories of life along the margins in Mexico City resolve with a fatal car accident. Octavio (Gael García Bernal) is trying to raise enough money to run away with his sister-in-law (Vanessa Bauche), and decides to enter his dog Cofi into the world of dogfighting. After a dogfight goes bad, Octavio flees in his car, running a red light and causing the accident. Daniel (Álvaro Guerrero) and Valeria's (Goya Toledo) newfound bliss is prematurely ended when she loses her leg in the accident. El Chivo (Emilio Echevarría) is a homeless man who cares for stray dogs and is there to witness the collision.

Opinion

Debut feature of a young Mexican director who turned out to be a superb filmmaker, Amores perros is a pure, violent, angry, bitter yet poetic and sensual picture of human life.

Central figure of the film, as the title suggests, is that of the dog, that in each of the three stories perfectly represents its protagonists. Furious as the protagonists of the first story that pulls their animals into fights, and are not able to respect life in all its forms. Naive and helpless as the model of the second story, a beautiful metaphor of today's woman, grew up in a society that consider her an object. And lastly, stray and wandering as their owner in search for redemption, author of a spectacular final monologue.

Mexico City, imprinted in the harrowing photography by Rodrigo Prieto, causes a collision between the rich and easy lives of Daniel and Valeria and those drifted of Octavio, Ramiro, and Susana, right on the day everyone believes happiness is within reach, thus changing the course of their lives forever.

In addition to the dogs, and the city, the other figure that stands out is that of El Chivo, present in all the stories, that seems to try merge the two worlds, that, however, can me united only be the love for dogs, and the sense of abandonment.

Besides from the superb writing, direction and narrative structure that everyone seems to mention, I'd like to point out the outstanding soundtrack, a dramatic mix of Hispanic rock-rap tracks.

The dogfighting scenes are noteworthy. Raw, and hard to watch - problem that doesn't arise when it comes to humans fighting -, the editing behind those sequences is spectacular, since dogs were actually just playing.

The acting is the cherry on top. Gael García Bernal is, as always, brilliant and charismatic, he gives a great portrayal of Octavio and he's able to capture the audience's attention like nobody else. However, the real star here is Emilio Echevarría, who pulls off an astonishing transformation and gives an outstanding performance as El Chivo. Vanessa Bauche and Marco Pérez prived great support to García. Goya Toledo fully captures her spoiled character, and Álvaro Guerrero wonderfully humanizes his.

Quotes

El Chivo: At the time, I thought there were more important things than being with you and your mom. I wanted to set the world right, and then share it with you. I failed, as you can see.

Match Point (2005)

Genre

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Director

Woody Allen

Country

UK | Luxembourg

Cast

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, Ewen Bremner, James Nesbitt, Rupert Penry-Jones, Margaret Armstrong, Geoffrey Streatfeild, Miranda Raison, Rose Keegan, Colin Salmon, Toby Kebbell

Storyline

At a turning point in his life, former tennis pro Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) falls for femme-fatale Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson) who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law (Matthew Goode).

Opinion

Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" collided with fate and gave birth to another great Woody Allen's feature. 

Insightful, and intelligent, Match Point combines a love story and some thrills, but puts aside Allen's humour and smart dialogue.

The opening sequence is one of the most philosophical, and best Woody Allen has created over the years. In slow motion, a tennis ball hits the top of the net. That ball can either go forward or fall back as Rhys Meyers's voiceover says. That ball is the metaphor of chaos that rules the world, of fortuities, of luck. It's in that very first minute that it's enclosed the essence of the film: luck being more important than hard work. And that's exactly how the film ends. The ring hits the bar, and luck only can save the main character.

The plot is very interesting, and in addition there is an engaging story about social class. However, there are a few plot holes I can't help but point out. First of all, the main character is Irish, but speaks with an upper-class English accent, and there is no apparent reason for that. Also, he works in a company connected with his father-in-law yet somehow manages to get away with using his work as an excuse for his absence.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who I had only seen before in minor roles - "Bend It Like Beckham", "Albert Nobbs", and "Mission: Impossible III" - is excellent as the former tennis player. Scarlett Johansson is sexy as never before, and does a good job as the mistress, although she has lost something since "Lost in Translation". Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, and Brian Cox all do a good job.

The man who said "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It's scary to think so much is out of one's control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net, and for a split second, it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck, it goes forward, and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose. - Chris Wilton