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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