Rain Man

Ein hervorragendes Drama, das ohne die übermenschliche Leistung von Dustin Hoffman nicht das wäre, was es ist. Ich vertraute seinem Autismus mehr als der Nase zwischen den Augen mancher Leute. Dennoch hat mich der Film nicht genug gefesselt, um ihm die volle Punktzahl zu geben. (19.07.2009)

A late 1980s hit, bolstered by an exceptionally crafted screenplay and a standout performance by Dustin Hoffman. Known for his meticulous approach, Hoffman dedicated nearly five months to preparing for the exceptionally challenging role and even lived with autistic individuals in a rehabilitation center. Cruise, alongside Hoffman, made a concerted effort not to be overshadowed and delivered one of the best performances of his career. Everything in the film falls into place as it should, and the film is one of the greatest cinematic experiences. It is literally brimming with emotions but doesn't cross into the realm of cheesy sentimentality. Overall impression 95%. (19.01.2008)

- What's it like? - Greasy. Yeah, that's one way to sum up the flick. Yes, he's a genius. Yes, he was selfish. Yes, she was pretty hot. I wish I'd seen it earlier, I probably would have given it a higher rating, but then it was over and I thought: "Is that it?" I guess I'm just too messed up... But it was fun, yeah... Rain Man is like my sister (not in terms of memory). (19.07.2009)

Just by looking at the movie poster, all the feelings come back to me. Dustin Hoffman has created a new equivalent to the phrase "believable performance" and with his autistic Raymond, he surpasses all the Academy Award-winning actors in history, taking them somewhere completely different. When I eventually make a list of my favorite and most powerful acting performances, Rain Man will have a reserved spot at the top. This drama about reconciliation is common, but thanks to the subject matter and the significant differences between the two brothers, Rain Man is a brilliant achievement. (05.05.2007)

Autism in mainstream packaging, i.e. with a strong non-autistic character with whom we can identify (and serving for the development of the narrative, because Ray cannot change), with the protagonist’s disorder offset by his phenomenal memory, with carefully administered “heartwarming” humour, and with the cause of all conflicts melodramatically limited to an incurable mental illness. We can ironically ridicule Levinson’s attempt to tell, with love and understanding, a story about a man for whom deeper affection for another person is an unknown emotion. However, it would not be fair to overlook the fact that Rain Man was also very tastefully made, without exaggerated sentimentality, without trying to eliminate everything that’s only slightly “uncanny”, without an entirely happy ending (brotherly love is fine, but it’s not a substitute for an institution specialising in caring for patients like Raymond). Within the boundaries of the genre, the believable transformation of Tom Cruise’s character is paradoxically aided the most by his essentially unchanging film brother played by Dustin Hoffman, who reacts slowly and differently. Though I have never actually seen Dustin Hoffman in this film. I always see only Raymond Babbitt. 85% (24.09.2013)