“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?”

If there is a movie that can hit viewers of all age from this groovy decade of the 1960’s, I would have to choose The Graduate. At it’s base, the movie is a coming-of-age story and usually those kind of stories relate with people of all ages. The younger generation may be living through the same eyes as the characters in the story and the older generation gets nostalgia as they remember the days of old. In fact, this movie is a favorite of my family. They grew up in the era when this film is released, so they understand the struggles the character is going through. Also the movie is recognizable because it is a damn fine piece of art. It took me years to see the film, and I finally did so recently. It did not hit me as strongly as it did with my family or other people of their generation, but there is no denying how good the film is.

I feel like I can relate to the film somewhat because I’m in the same boat of our main character, Ben Braddock. Ben is a recent college graduate, but is struggling to find a life after college. I know how he feels, because I have the same struggles in a much more competitive world. I can also relate to Ben’s personality, because I had similar traits years ago. Ben, in the film, struggles mightily around females because of his awkwardness. Back in my teenage days, I had similar issues. Although I eventually changed and I never fell for any older women like…..ahem….Ben does. But people adore this movie because of its very relatable themes involving post-graduation life.

One of the popular things about the movie was its soundtrack. The film heavily relied upon folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel to provide the music, and provide the music they certainly did. One would say their most famous song is “Mrs. Robinson.” Now you know where the song received its personality. Personally, I loved the music in the film but other people, such as the late great Roger Ebert had major qualms about the music. But everyone is subjected to their own opinions because everyone usually have different opinions about any single movie.

This film follows around this kid, Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) as he joins the big, wide world after college graduation. Everyone expects great things out of him, especially his parents (played by William Daniels and Elizabeth Wilson). At a homecoming party of his, Ben is asked to drive Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) home. Mrs. Robinson is the wife of his father’s business partner (Murray Hamilton). After Ben drove the seductive older woman home, they begin an affair. But things take a sharp turn when Ben meets Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine (Katherine Ross)…….and falls in love with her. Now with two women in his romantic life with the affair unbeknownst to each other, Ben is going to have a lot of work to do.

The film partly works because of its fine, naturalistic performances. Dustin Hoffman, despite being 29 at the film’s release, convincingly plays Braddock as a shy, awkward kid who wants to take this time in joining the real world. Hoffman will become a big star, and this is the first piece in helping him do so. My word, I really enjoyed Anne Bancroft’s performance as the seductive wife. She could have stolen any guy’s heart with her portrayal. It’s funny because she was supposed to be the older woman in the picture, but she’s only six years older than Hoffman is. Those of you who seen the 90’s sitcom, Boy Meets World, you’ll recognize Mr. Feeney himself, William Daniels who played Ben’s dad. He has some amusing scenes, and I particularly liked the scene where he forces his son to try on a scuba diving outfit much to Ben’s chagrin. Murray Hamilton has a rather smallish role as Mr. Robinson, but I thought he did a fine job and likewise for Katherine Ross as Elaine, whom we don’t meet until much later in the film.

Mike Nichols was a well-known director who is known for his quirkiness and sensibilities in all of his films. He sadly passed away earlier this year, but he left behind a legacy of well-known works. The Graduate is his first feature film and boy what a way to introduce yourself to Hollywood. He does an amazing job directing this film and it’s no surprise he won Best Director at the Oscars for his first film directorial effort. He told the story in a very crisp away and he never slowed down.

The film works as a comedy and a drama, but its not funny in a way you would think. The comedy is more subtle, and that makes it refreshing. However, not everything meant as comedy I found funny. You can blame me living in a different generation for that. The movie also offers some unforgettable scenes. The very last scene with Elaine and Ben in a bus…..just a classic scene and quite funny. Just watch the movie, and you’ll see what I mean.

Despite how much I enjoyed The Graduate, not all is perfect. The film feels outdated. What worked in the 1960’s doesn’t always work well today. Some jokes are not as funny and on the technical side of the film, it doesn’t hold up well. As one would say, the movie has rusty pipes. But those pipes still work perfectly fine. Thanks to the music, the performances, and the themes, The Graduate is a lesson that all young people should learn and it’s a movie that still appeals to the older generations. I enjoyed this film, even if other people enjoyed it more than I did.

My Grade: B+

I’m torn in what to think about In Cold Blood. On one hand, it’s a smart thriller that gives a taste of authenticity, being that it is based off a true story. The film was shot in the real locations the murder took place and it makes good use of black-and-white photography to give off a sense of realism. On the other hand, the pace of the film was excruciating slow. Except for the final half hour of the film, I was twitching non stop in my seat and every once in awhile, I caught my eyes drooping. A very good story to tell, but I wonder if the execution of the film was properly done.

Anyhow, this thriller received unanimous praise for its authentic storytelling and how this film could have been passed off as a documentary. The film is based of a murder of a family that took place in a rural Kansas town in the early 1960’s. The film is told almost exactly as the real murder went down. The black and white camera work was a good idea because it adds a realistic feeling to the film. The house where the murder took place was actually used to replicate the murder scenes for the film. Even people who were associated with the murders such as neighbors, friends, etc were played by themselves and I thought it was really cool. The performances from everyone came across as natural thus transforming their characters to a near life-like state.

This film is about a pair of ex-cons named Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson) who are meeting in Kansas, thus breaking the terms of their parole. They plan a robbery based on information from a former cellmate of Dick’s in regards of ten thousand dollars worth of cash. Once they robbed the cash, they plan on moving down to Mexico to escape from the law enforcement. However, things don’t go as planned. They end up killing all four members of the Clutter family only coming away with a measly 43 dollars in cash. Now they are truly on the run from the law. But if Detective Alvin Dewey (John Forsythe) has a say, Perry and Dick will find their way at the end of hangman’s noose before all is said and done.

The film is a very small film and the cast is near unrecognizable (However, some of you might recognize Scott Wilson who played Herschel in the popular The Walking Dead series). Despite the relative unfamiliar faces, the performances come across as natural. It’s good the film does not feature any star power because it would have undermined what director Richard Brooks was trying to do. He was trying to recreate the events that happened as real as he could and having big name stars would not have helped his cause. I really enjoyed these performances. Robert Blake performed Perry very well. Perry was the more sensitive character but he can be violent. Dick, played wonderfully by Scott Wilson is more of the manipulator, the man who gen get people to bend to his will. He is also a dreamer, as he dreams for money and escape from America. The two actors had great chemistry with each other, which added on to the natural tone of the characters.

This film is not for everybody. It was certainly made very well. I had a huge problem involving the pace of the film. It seemed to move only at a snail’s pace especially during the second act. The film also has a sense of trickery to it, which may tick some people off. The first minutes of the film shows the first half of the murder before it dwindles to the next act. I started wondering if we were ever going to see the second half of the murder, when it suddenly happened towards the end. Those scenes were hard to watch, but they were undoubtedly powerful. The beginning and the end of the film are the best sections of the movie. The murder act itself and the aftermath/sentence of the two men were two scenes that were well-done. Also, I had mixed feeling about the score composed by Quincy Jones. On one hand, the score itself was great and is often thrilling. But on the other hand, the music is what you would hear in a Hollywood horror film and that’s exactly the opposite of what Brooks was trying to do-not to Hollywoodize his film. Personally, I accepted the use of the music after much thing but just barely.

The film does provide some themes to ponder about. The two guys are from different cultures and backgrounds, but they were attracted to each for the same goal. To rob money. The film also shows how emotion goes into the thinking. Because of the result of getting 43 dollars, it became an unfortunate turn of events for the Clutter family who were about to lose their lives due to bad information. The film is eerie, sad, and sometimes quite boring. This story was actually researched by Truman Capote and this research was turned into a screenplay by Richard Brooks. The screenplay was a very well-written one at least.

Overall, I generally liked In Cold Blood although I’m not over the moon about it as other critics are. I loved the authentic tone of the film and the performances are very natural. They bring Brook’s words to life as if they were their own words. But the film is very slow, and I found the second act to be painful to sit through. But there is no denying how effective the film is and the payoff is very powerful. I would recommend this film, but be prepared for a movie that takes its time to tell the story.

My Grade: B-

Stanley Kramer’s Guess Who’s Coming Home to Dinner is an old-fashioned, but heartfelt and endearing drama with a weighty topic (for the 1960’s and even in some regard today). That topic is the theme of interracial marriage. The 1960’s was when the African-Americans were fighting for their civil rights and eventually succeeded in getting them. But the white population were wary of them, even the liberals who supported their cause. This movie has such a strong premise, so strong that it has been known the principal actors signed on to the film without reading the screenplay. This was far from low-key because these actors happened to be major names like Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, two of Hollywood’s greatest stars ever to be seen on the big screen. This controversial premise, interracial marriage, was seen as a positive factor in the film and that was a rarity for Hollywood productions back in the day.

Despite the use of the big theme, there is nothing new about the film hence me describing the film as old-fashioned in my opening sentence. William Rose’s screenplay is rather predictable and the characters, especially the minor ones were given the usual Hollywood stereotypes. We have the black maid who is seen as a mother figure and knows how to whip up a fine meal. There is the Irish monsignor who acts very Irish with those twinkly eyes and hearty laughs. Because the central premise is a black man marrying a white woman, of course each one’s family will vehemently oppose the marriage due to being different colors. But despite these predictable tropes and stereotypes…..the film won me over in a big way. The story is very charming and the performances are wonderful and they have even have a sense of poignancy thanks to the rapidly failing health of Spencer Tracy during production. Even the cheesy moments were charming, such as the opening song performed by Frank DeVol and the dance sequence by the milk delivery boy that was utterly pointless, but somehow brought a smile to my face.

Now the plot revolves around interracial marriage, as mentioned previously. Joanna Drayton (Katherine Houghton), a white 23-year old daughter of a liberal newspaper editor, Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) gets engaged during her Hawaiian vacation to a black man named Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier). Everything is perfect about Prentice…..except his skin color. Joanna or as her friends and family call her Joey, decides to introduce her fiancé to her family. The problem is, they want her parent’s blessing in one night because he has to fly to Geneva for a WHO conference. Joey’s mother, Christina (Katherine Hepburn) immediately agrees and takes the situation rather well. On the other hand, Matt doesn’t take too kindly to be given a single night to come up with a decision. Christina decides its a good idea to invite John’s parents (Beau Richards and Roy Glenn), who were flying a short distance from L.A to San Francisco, to dinner. At the dinner table, along with Monsignor Ryan (Cecil Kellaway), Joey and John try to convince everyone why they should get married.

I loved all the performances in the film, which shouldn’t be too surprising because of the talent of the actors. But in a way, these performances come across as emotional not only because of the timely themes, but this would be the last role Spencer Tracy would ever do. He died only two weeks after production ended, and you can tell he was hurting during the film. But he delivered a powerhouse performance and an incredible speech at the end. He was the first actor ever to receive a posthumous nomination at the Academy Awards, but he did not win. Nonetheless, he delivered a very strong performance. He shared the screen in this movie with his long-time lover and co-star Katherine Hepburn, who assisted Spencer with this movie because of his ailing health. Hepburn delivers a mighty fine performance which was awarded with a Best Actress win. She was past her prime looks-wise, but her talent never left. One of the emotional scenes of the movie is the glistening tears she produced when Spencer gave his heartfelt speech. You could tell this would be the final hurrah for Spencer, and Katherine knew that. Miss Hepburn also got her niece, Katherine Houghton to play Joey. She did an okay job, although you could tell she hasn’t been around acting for that long. The final powerhouse performance was from Sidney Poitier, as the perfect John Prentice. His character was handsome, intelligent, has a good career, and graduated from a top school, but his skin color raised questions. Poitier, coming off massive box office successes, does incredible work here. It felt like his performance were overshadowed by Spencer and Katherine’s performance, but don’t overlook his performance. Finally, I also liked Cecil Kellaway’s supporting turn as Monsignor Ryan. The old man was funny and I loved his rogue Irish personality.

Despite all the flaws, I very much liked Guess Who’s Coming Home to Dinner. I guess timely themes and the combined star power of Tracy and Hepburn are enough to turn mediocre movies into great movies. Despite some serious undertones, the film has a light atmosphere thanks to the fluid direction of Stanley Kramer. Kramer had an idea what to do with this movie from day one and he succeeded in making that movie. The film has accomplished its purpose in taking a stance with interracial marriage. Not only that, but it is very entertaining. It is one of those films that will make you laugh and will make you cry. In that regards, that is where you can find the term “old-fashioned.” Some scenes are cheesy (dancing milk man, anyone?), and some are mighty powerful (Spencer’s speech). The film proves love has no bounds and you can marry whomever you want, no matter the skin color.

My Grade: A