leeper@mtgzx.att.com (Mark R. Leeper) (08/14/90)
THE FRESHMAN
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1990 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: College freshman takes a part-time job
working for a well-known organized crime figure, then finds
himself sinking in deeper and deeper. Well-drawn characters
salvage a less-than-original plot. Rating: low +2.
Marlon Brando does not particularly like THE FRESHMAN. Or so he said
at the close of the shooting for the film. And I suppose I can see his
point. The basic plot for THE FRESHMAN is not all that original, and in
less skilled hands this could have been a very forgettable film. It gets
very few points for originality. Still, even a film made with a very tired
motif can be done with some style and can still be a quality film. This is
yet another film of someone in his late teens just trying to go to school or
going to summer camp, but getting embroiled in screwball circumstances.
Deep down this is another teen comedy, but like RISKY BUSINESS or THE
GRADUATE, there is a little more substance here than in most teen comedies
and it should appeal to a larger audience.
Matthew Broderick plays Charles Kellogg, who is starting college at New
York University's film school. Or at least he is trying to, but all his
bags and money are stolen. His attempts to get them back take a strange
turn when the hood who took them offers Kellogg a "great job" in return for
the money, which the hood has gambled away. The great job turns out to be
running errands for Carmine Sabatini (played by Marlon Brando) who doesn't
just look like Vito Corleone from THE GODFATHER, he apparently IS the
Godfather. The first job is to pick up SOMETHING at the airport and deliver
it to New Jersey. His payment is to be $500 for a few hours' work.
Andrew Bergman, who both wrote and directed THE FRESHMAN, has a good
feel for bizarre and comic characters. We get to meet some of the most
quirky members of the underworld since POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES, including a
bon vivant ex-Nazi hiding behind the obvious alias of "Larry London" (played
by Maximillian Schell). Much has been made of how good Brando is in his
role, though I am not convinced that it is as difficult a part as other
reviewers seem to think. (Also, Brando now has the stature of someone
eating himself to death and should take better care of himself.)
Cinema fans should enjoy all the references to classic films to be
found in the film school scenes and pretty much everybody will enjoy some of
the comedy scenes, such as the pickup at the airport. In general this is a
well-made comedy that transcends its formula. I would rate this a low +2 on
the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
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