Buoyed by the charm of Matthew Broderick in the title role and Marlon Brando as a caricature of his Godfather persona, The Freshman benefits from solid casting, a clever premise, and sweet humor.
Buoyed by the charm of Matthew Broderick in the title role and Marlon Brando as a caricature of his Godfather persona, The Freshman benefits from solid casting, a clever premise, and sweet humor.
In this farcical comedy, Matthew Broderick plays Clark Kellogg, an aspiring director who arrives in New York City to attend film school. However, moments after he arrives in the city, he's robbed by Victor Ray (Bruno Kirby), leaving him no money for the $700 in books required by his instructor, Arthur Fleeber (Paul Benedict). A few days later, Clark runs into Victor and demands his money back, but Victor has already lost it (on a horse race in which he wasn't entirely sure the animal he bet on
was a horse). Instead, he offers to fix Clark up with a job with his boss, an "importer and exporter" named Carmone Sabatini (Marlon Brando), who bears a stunning resemblance to Don Corleone in The Godfather. Clark's adventures with Sabatini are just beginning when he's instructed to pick up a package from the airport. Clark is expecting it to be contraband, and he's right, but not in the way he figured -- it turns out he's accepting delivery of a komodo dragon, which is to be served at a "gourmet club" specializing in dishes prepared from endangered species. Marlon Brando's hilarious comic variation on one of his best-known roles is the highlight of this film, but Bruno Kirby and Paul Benedict also deliver fine comic turns, and Matthew Broderick copes nobly with his role as the film's lone normal person. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
There have been a lot of movies where stars have repeated the triumphs of their parts - but has any star ever done it more triumphantly than Marlon Brando does in The Freshman?
A great actor's self-parody might be fascinating, especially if the actor is Brando. But the performance Brando gives here is anything but a good-natured goof on himself.
It's a nice premise, film informing life, and Bergman's film succeeds thanks to its sprightly pace, modest but fully realised ambition and the ever affable Broderick.
Brando spoofs his Godfather role ... that's the draw in this light fah-gettahboutit comedy that has a small town yoot (Broderick, serviceable) visit da Big Apple for the first time --- as a film student at NYU. And what film are they studying? Try ta guess, or y'sleep wit' duh fishes, yo! Bruno Kirby is good as our
tour guide, or else ... what could happen wrong? You could refuse dis offer but it wouldn't look good if you did, capeesh?
This is a zany adventure comedy with movie legend Marlon Brando and 80s teen cutie Matthew Broderick. Being a fan of both of them, I really enjoyed this movie. It's nothing new, but it is entertaining.
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