First Take: Rain Man- I’m an excellent driver.

SYPNOSIS:

Selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt’s father left a fortune to his savant brother Raymond and a pittance to Charlie; they travel cross-country.

Let’s just say that the review of this one has been very thoroughly researched- I have written a university assignment on this film after all, but Barry Levinson’s 1988 classic really does stand the test of time- it did win 4 Oscars after all.

Levinson’s direction is near faultless, as he is able to tell the story of Ray and Charlie’s accidental road trip in a way that makes you feel sorry for both men. It’s written very well by Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow, as they create a story that doesn’t drag during the 2 hour 13 minute running time. Raymond’s character traits are very well portrayed too, and that is mainly due to the excellence of Dustin Hoffman and his portrayal of the autistic traits that make Ray stand out. Tom Cruise also puts in a great performance, and it is weird seeing one of his early films compared to the output he produces now- I’d personally like to see him do more films like this rather than the tried and tested action franchises he has supported over the last few years. It is shot brilliantly by the legendary John Seale, and it is also the very first film to herald a Hans Zimmer music credit- and that is always a good thing.

THE VERDICT

This film doesn’t feel like a 28 year old film- it is still just as good for modern audiences, and with the perfect combination of direction, script and performance, this is a film that would have been a Film of the Year if I was around in 1988.

RATING: 5/5