FilmJudge - Rain Man

REVIEW

Rain Man
1989
Certificate: 15 | Runtime: 133 | Director: Barry Levinson
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino

Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) is a struggling Los Angeles car salesman. After his wealthy father dies, Charlie discovers that he hasn't been left any inheritance; all his father's money has gone to Raymond (Hoffman), a brother Charlie never knew he had. He discovers that Raymond is actually an autistic sevant living in a care home, and decides to take him back to Los Angeles in the hope that he holds the key to their father's money. However, he wasn't counting on bonding with his brother along the way.

While a number of Best Picture winners are generally considered to have been poor choices, there are others which have become almost fashionable to dislike, or at least to claim as such. Rain Man is certainly one of these films, and this is a shame because it has so much going for it. It's wonderfully acted and sensitively directed, and it manages to be both moving and funny without ever seeming forced or manipulative.

Hoffman's performance is one of those iconic efforts that other actors now try to emulate whenever they are faced with this sort of role. He immerses himself in the role of Raymond, and as a result nothing about it comes across as false. Every mannerism and quirk seems like part of the character, rather than a generic trait of somebody with the same condition. Hoffman also evolves the role wonderfully, and as Raymond develops we can see it in his actions and dialogue. He also taps into the undeniably funny side of the character; in a way Raymond is the straight man to the more energetic Charlie.

However, I do also think that Cruise is very much Hoffman's equal. He didn't get anywhere near the same amount of recognition, but what Cruise does here is also remarkable. Even when Charlie is being unbelievably selfish, Cruise makes sure that we can also sympathise with his circumstances. But for me (and most others) the heart of the film is the beautiful bond that forms between the brothers; Charlie in particular goes through drastic changes in order for this to happen, and the way Cruise handles this is sublime. The actors really have wonderful chemistry too, helped by the terrific writing from Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass.

Elsewhere Golino is also good as Charlie's girlfriend Susanna, while Gerald R. Molen and Bonnie Hunt also make pleasing contributions, but the focus of the film is never far from Charlie and Raymond. Levinson understands this, and as a result his direction is delightfully understated. There's nothing flashy or overly stylish on display here; it's shot almost like a rather old-fashioned buddy movie. It's also the type of film where good cosmetic elements can easily get ignored, but Rain Man features very crisp editing and handsome cinematography. And Hans Zimmer's score is one of the few 80s electronic efforts that doesn't now seem jarring and tacky.

So thanks to the great performances, writing and direction, what Rain Man achieves is a perfect balance of emotion and sincerity. It never demands that you feel sorry for Raymond or hate Charlie, nor does it crassly highlight the emotional moments. It just tells the story, and lets the audience decide what to think and what to feel. It really is a wonderful film.

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