I liked the car

Rating: 5/10 (21 February 2015)

This movie was very much a product of its times. Watching this movie 47 years after it was made is a curious experiment.
I totally get why some think its a very significant film and captures the zeitgeist of 1967 and for viewers who are older and remember some of that perhaps it does.
But if I may be so bold - looking at it now it is more of a curious relic where many of the elements that were significant in 1967 just look strange now.
Dustin Hoffman may as well be a piece of wood throughout the whole movie. I'm not a fan of his acting and certainly his fame from this role has nothing to do with his acting skills since he really may as well have been asleep through the first half.
As others have remarked the second half of the film is inexplicable and doesn't really make much sense.
If the Ben character was sleep walking through the first half then having him wake up and decide to go stalk the daughter in part two of the movie might be progress but it shows he has learned nothing.
In fact the character of Benjamin is perplexing all round. Surely if he has completed a 4 year degree at an Eastern university he would have some clues, some friends and some ambition but that is not in the script. Instead he is little better than a prop for his parents expectations. In 2014 if we see a character like that we would call him a loser and that is what he is.
Sure there are some other elements about the film which are worth a mention and many others have remarked on this. The soundtrack, the cinematography and editing is all savvy and well done. However I think the reason why this film still resonates for many- especially older viewers is the subject matter and the exploration of what would have been taboo topics in 1967.
I did like the final scene where the characters are on the bus and they seem to realise something has happened but they have no idea what.
For me in 2014 however I mostly just liked the car. A classic Alfa Romeo and the biggest dramatic moment was when it was driven on the curb and nearly crashed.
For those reasons this film is a flawed classic. I'm glad so many people like this film but there are much better ways to tell stories now and I'm also very glad about that.