Review of Rain Man (1988) by Abhinav T — 24 Sep 2012
Heralded with all sorts of awards on its release, it's become almost fashionable to knock Rain Man. But I rewatched it for the first time in years last week, and it's terrific. Yes, it goes for every emotional beat and manipulation and succeeds nearly every time, but IMHO it has earned those stripes through its characters and the performances of the whole cast.
A road movie, a buddy movie, a coming-of-age movie, Rain Man mashes up genres pretty well. Dustin Hoffman is rightly remembered for his mannered physical performance and tics as the autistic savant, and Tom Cruise is simply outstanding as the angry young man who learns really quite a lot through the film's journey.
It's fairly slight and frothy, not really seeking to educate or moralise, and its 1980s soundtrack can be occasionally irritating, but as a terrifically entertaining piece of cinema, Rain Man is definitely still worth a watch.
This review of Rain Man (1988) was written by Abhinav T on 24 Sep 2012.
Rain Man has generally received very positive reviews.
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