So much average

Don't Believe the Hype

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

It's the funny, satirical, outrageous, quirky yet touching combination that inspired Woody Allen and Wes Anderson, and above all that it's a human study that will never age. (8.5/10)

The Graduate is a film that I feel like a lot of people, especially people who weren't around for the film's release, would NEVER have thought to watch this on their own. Yes, it is a master class in it's use in photography & cinematography and the abundance of techniques on display makes for a wonderful tool in teaching a variety of concepts to budding filmmakers. Yes, it is thematically sound as well as having a decent plot to make everything understandable while still providing a lot of depth in its storytelling and something that you could pick apart endlessly. It's a standout film of its time, shining a big bright light on the direction that American society as a whole seemed to be headed, successfully being both deconstructive and even predictive of what kinds of conflicts people of the film's generation would undergo. The writing, camerawork, and symbolism is some of the best you'll ever find in a single film.I just think it has absolutely zero entertainment value.Direction is where you could start to find the cracks in the wall. While technically sound on every level, The Graduate is slow, plodding, and probably only got a pass at the time of its release due to the subject matter. There's a telephoto shot of Hoffman running towards the chapel that makes him look like he's running in place for about 20 seconds. It's cool from a production and cinematography standpoint, but its 20 whole seconds of "get on with it" that I can't shake while watching it. Awkward party conversations, Hoffman wallowing in self-pity and uncertainty, a slowly decaying love triangle that gets more cynical as it goes along. Great study material and one of the foundations of how I've come to understand films and other media. I just don't think I could ever enjoy watching this film on my own time.

The Graduate is THE best comedy of the 1960s, easily making the top 10 all-time list. It's a film that propelled director Mike Nichols and actor Dustin Hoffman to the top of the Hollywood A-List.For baby-boomers, this is an iconic film - a snap-shot of mid 1960s affluent suburban post- college let-down, introspection, angst, and confusion. Baby boomers saw things vastly different than their Greatest Generation parents, and Nichols (along with screen-play writer Buck Henry) "integrated" the generation-gap in a way no film had before.Dustin Hoffman was fortunate to get the lead part as legend has it, and Nichols was fortunate to get him - both took advantage of the opportunity, and we are all fortunate they did so.Perhaps the best soundtrack sync in movie history, Nichols had an epiphany about using the introspective and melancholy music of Simon & Garfunkel in the film, setting what was then a new standard for use of popular music as an integral part of story telling. No film has done this better. Without that music sync, this would have been a fine film, but it would not have reached its legendary film status. Buck Henry's original screen-play delivers some very funny scenes - the hotel scenes running from the approximate 20 to 35 minute marks in the film are hilarious and everyone pulled it off to subtle perfection. Nichols ensured those comic moments were delivered with impeccable timing by utilizing Henry as a Day Player in the role of hotel manager.Anne Bancroft is brilliant (and hot) in what has become an iconic film character. This film achieves much with solid performances by the entire cast. This is Mike Nichols' greatest and most important achievement in film.What else can I add that hasn't already been stated?See it again when the mood strikes. First timers, you are in for a treat.Here's to you Mrs. Robinson! 🍸

I think I have underestimated how much I like this film, at least the first hour of it. I have seen it a few times and knew I liked it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely funny it is. That said, I don't really like the last act, and that's largely due to the fact that Mrs. Robinson feels like the real emotional center of this film, but she's reduced to a one dimensional villain during the final act. While Benjamin comes off as a fool, and Elaine is barely a character, Mrs. Robinson is funny, clever and kind of sad ... a very engaging character. The film doesn't really survive her departure.