I wanted to but couldn't!

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

A Masterpiece!

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Despite the nudging, rambling title and Dustin Hoffman's mildly hippie appearance, "Who Is Harry Kellerman..." is rather old-fashioned in its quest to find substantial meaning in life, which screenwriter Herb Gardner sees as always being undermined by the inevitability of death. There are no pretenses here towards embracing a pseudo-hip scenario, and the lack of mod-ish overtones keeps the film relevant and fresh. Hoffman plays an East Coast songwriter, currently being hailed by Time magazine as a prophet, who sees nothing meaningful in his existence, hearkening back on his ordinary boyhood in order to make peace with the present. Accentuated by bursts of rock music, and defined by little bits of mordant truth, the film blessedly isn't a silly phantasmagoria, although some may see all this as a con--written by somebody who is out of step with the times (Gardner wrote the coy "A Thousand Clowns", after all). Yet, somehow, the movie strikes a melancholic, sobering, almost disenfranchised chord, and smart director Ulu Grosbard is actually interested in revealing something tangible through his characters. Hoffman's Georgie Soloway can't enjoy living without relating it to dying, and so has suicidal flights-of-fancy, paranoiac personal dramas, and surreal sessions with a Viennese analyst. It's a good role for Dustin, while Barbara Harris is wonderful in the small role of a struggling actress who's still in love with 1957. It takes a while to get into the movie's groove, but there are some worthwhile thoughts here, helped immeasurably by Victor Kemper's non-fussy cinematography and Grosbard's deep connection with the material. It's a near-triumph. **1/2 from ****

From the first five minutes of the movie I knew it was going to be a long one. I was right. The plot seemed to drag on on for 3 hours and not enough coffee could help the matter. Although Mr. Hoffman does give an all-out performance (doesn't he always?) as Georgie Soloway, he just barely shines through the long-winded plot. Three things about this movie lend me the ability to give it a 10. Seeing Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show (I own their fan club) on stage with the genius of Shel Silverstein and Mr. Hoffman. The 3 of them together permit me to vote this movie a 10 no matter how much it needs the help of a decent writer. Hoffman gives a wonderful show as the highly intelligent, highly proficient, but obviously insane Georgie Soloway. Dr. Hook sing the opening and closing tracks and a song done onstage with Shel and Dustin named, "One More Round" amongst other tracks. Keep your mind open and concentrate on the performances of Hoffman, Silverstein, Dr. Hook, & Dom Deluise...and you'll be fine.

Sometimes I am just sooooooo out of step with conventional movie wisdom. This is one of those movies that gets trounced every time it is mentioned by a critic or reviewer. But why??? It is funny, well-acted, moving, bizarre and the music kicks ass. Dustin Hoffman plays Georgie Solloway, a super-successful Bob Dylan-ish rock star who is going thru something of a mid-life crisis. A mysterious figure known as Harry Kellerman is spreading false rumours about him, sabotaging his personal and professional life. Solloway has no friends to talk to... just a shrink and, when he gets really desperate, his accountant (great scene with Dom DeLuise!) Okay, so maybe you hate Dustin Hoffman... or Bob Dylan... or movies about the problems of rich, successful people in general... how can you not love the heartbreaking performance by Barbara Harris? She was nominated for an Oscar for crying out loud (and it was a crime she didn't win, I tell ya). Don't listen to the nay-sayers... check out this wild and wonderful film!

I just watched this last night. I bought it because Barbara Harris received an Oscar nomination for it. I happen to think that she is a very underrated actress.....and was I right!This movie started out very strange. From the opening scene where Hoffman falls of the top of a building, it just got stranger. I realize that this is one of those independent films that try to make a point about life in a different way than we're use to in mainstream films, but please! I knew this film was bad when I kept thinking to myself, "When does Barbara Harris come into this?!"My husband had come home, watched a little and said, "What is this? Turn it off!" Just then Barbara Harris came on. We both sat there in awe. She made that audition scene into brilliant showcase of her talent. When Dustin Hoffman left her, you really missed her. The film really missed her. SHE is what makes this film worth seeing, well the last half at least. Dustin gives his typical performance here, nothing special. Barbara Harris is fantastic and deserved an Oscar for making it worth the torture of watching the first half of this @$%#^%, so you can see HER in the second half.