A Dramedy Classic

Rating: 9/10 (20 August 2010)

The dramedy The Graduate is a film from director Mike Nichols and stars Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, and Katharine Ross and takes place in modern day Pasadena, California.
The film is about a young man, Ben (Hoffman), who just graduate college and is worried very much so about his future. But at his party to celebrate his graduation one his parent's friends, Mrs. Robinson (Bancroft), lures Ben to her home and tries to seduce Ben. At first she doesn't succeed, but then Ben finally calls her up and takes her offer. Their affair goes on for quite a bit until Ben just wants to talk to Mrs. Robinson for once instead of just having sex. Then Elaine (Ross), Mrs. Robinson's daughter, comes home from Berkley and she and Ben start to date. The tension builds rapidly and emotions begin to fly in this classic film.
Mike Nichols deserves his Oscar for Best Director because of all the legendary shots in this film. There are so many, the first that comes to mind is when Ben says, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?". Another is when he is in his scuba suit. I can go on and on about the amazing number of brilliant shots. Another thing he did very well was make us connect to the characters, especially Ben and Elaine. I could feel Ben's nervousness when Mrs. Robinson is playing her little game with him and I could feel Elaine's humiliation when she was brought to the strip club.
The whole cast gave fantastic performances. Dustin Hoffman developed the character into a true human that anyone could relate to by being nerdy, curious, and very stubborn. Anne Bancroft brought most of the laughs to the film in her iconic role as Mrs. Robinson. She was cold yet desirable and did a brilliant job of playing a woman tortured by her mistakes during her life. Katharine Ross was the girl next door and was absolutely wonderful, she was the girl that everyone would want to marry and will always be remembered for her performance in this film.
The score of this film is just as legendary as the film itself. With music from the band Simon & Garfunkel, such as Sounds of Silence and the iconic song Mrs. Robinson. The music was perfect for the film and will always be something that the film will be recognized for.
Overall this is a great film, I would say a weak 9/10 just because it is slow at some parts. I would have to say I would recommend this film to everyone, I personally believe this is a film that everyone must see before they die.