I wanted to but couldn't!

Expected more

Brilliant and touching

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The whole film rests on the Vito Corleone parody perpetrated here by Marlon Brando, close enough to give Clark Kellogg (Matthew Broderick) fits, but just off kilter enough so that the viewer sees something just a bit different and refreshing in Brando's take on 'The Godfather'. In fact, there's a few times if you watch closely that it seems like Brando is throwing a little bit of Rod Steiger into the characterization. You just have to laugh every time he's on screen with that underlying threat of hostility that never really emerges, while the whole time you wonder when it's coming.For his part, and as the story progresses, Broderick's character begins to take on the frustration of Michael Corleone in "The Godfather: Part III" - "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." I didn't know what to make of the Komodo dragon bit as Clark and Bushak (Frank Whaley) chase it through the mall, but it all ties in, even if rather ridiculously, to the gimmick of the endangered species dinner.And then there's Bert Parks. Doing his Miss America bit with the Komodo was just the right touch of inspired to lunacy to get this thing over the top. You have to give the writers credit for the imaginatively disparate elements they brought to this story while still making it believable. Well, as believable as the movie allows. You know, I was waiting the whole picture for Brando to grab an orange at some point and ad lib his way through a scene but instead he used walnuts. Still, he brought us back to The Godfather one last time with that little hand flick to the chin near the end of the story, making this a picture you can't refuse.

How many actors could have parodied their most classic roles without falling into the caricature? Think about it: while it takes a certain talent to make a performance that elevates a character to a legendary status, overplaying enough to make it comical but never over the top is the ultimate proof of acting genius. And only Marlon Brando could have got away with playing his most iconic character, the Godfather, and make it so damn believable. And it's this very seriousness in his performance, that makes "The Freshman" so delightful and naturally, hilarious.Although not a revolutionary, what makes "The Freshman" such a classic on its own is that it accomplishes a real miracle by resuscitating Vito Corleone, his name is Carmine Sabatini, but the movie can't fool us, the guy IS Vito Corleone. As explained in the film, Sabatini's the one who inspired Vito's character, in other words, "The Freshman" is so confident over its comical premise, and rightfully so, that it doesn't even hesitate to insert several references to "The Godfather". And these are not just gratuitous 'Godfather' references thrown away for the sake of it, it's important to know that it's not a parallel world where the movie isn't supposed to exist. On the contrary, not only it does, but whoever sees Carmine Sabatini, has the most natural reaction by immediately thinking of Vito Corleone. The movie, in a way, asks the question, how any of us would react in front of a movie character. How would I if I met my favorite character? I guess, probably like Clark Kellog, Matthew Broderick as a film college student, the titular "Freshman".And the deserved praises on Brando's performance shouldn't diminish Broderick's talent at all. With his awkward youngish look, Broderick is the perfect straight-man for a comical duo with Brando. Indeed, the comedic power of "The Freshman" relies on the extraordinary ability of Brando to play his character seriously in a non-serious film. Consequently, we don't laugh at Brando because he's too believable (we'd never treat him so disrespectfully), but at Broderick's disbelief. There's one part where Carmine offers a job to Clark, and gives him the hand of friendship as a solemn promise that no harm would happen to him. 'How can I say no?' replies Clark, to which Carmine dryly retorts 'that's not a yes, I want to hear yes', he takes a walnut from a prop and break it with his own hand, making a threatening sound. This improvisation, proving that Brando didn't lose his acting instinct and trademark use of props in movie scenes, provoked an even more genuine reaction from Broderick, who didn't know the walnut had already been broken before the shooting.Clark had no choice but say yes, after all, isn't Vito Corleone, the man who makes offers we can't refuse? The film's funniest moments are driven by Sabantini's aura and Clark's incapability to control the situation or to say 'no'. The script finds the perfect tone to show a guy screwed but in a way that inspires our sympathy without feeling antipathy toward Sabatini. And another triumph on the writing department is the way everything seems believable despite all the zany material it employs. Whether it's a picture of Mussolini in an Italian Social club, an espresso that takes three spoons of sugar, the Mona Lisa painting in Carmine's house, and a weird traffic involving a Komodo dragon, I wonder why I wanted to believe that, the first time I saw it. Maybe I was just a 10-year old kid who just laughed at the gags without looking too much deeper into it. The irony is that after watching 'The Godfather' so many times, I believed in Sabatini even more.That's not to say that it takes to be a 'Godfather' fan to enjoy the film, but it sure helps and not just for laughs. There is a heart in this film, and there is something very nostalgic, almost poignant to see Sabatini interacting with Clark. Sabatini is so sweet you'd forget he's a dangerous person. Brando finds the perfect note because he makes Sabatini lovable, while Vito was feared and respected, the way he treats Clark like the son he never had, his unexpected outburst of joy or sadness, his tender kisses or slaps in the face are all expression of a sincere love. Yes, we laugh when he never remembers Clark's hometown ("You're from Connecticut" he joyfully says, as if it meant something), when he calls him "Kent" instead of "Clark", or casually tells him that he'll marry his beautiful daughter Tina (Penelop Ann Mirren), but we still take him seriously because we never see when he's acting and when he's serious. And it doesn't really matter since in both cases, it's funny.But I make the film sound like the 'Brando' show, while it features a great cast of supporting characters, notably, Bruno Kirby as Vic the streetwise nephew who emphasizes the importance of every word said by his Carmine. Maximilan Schells steals the show as a demented German chef. You would probably notice Frank Whaley, the 'what?' man from "Pulp Fiction" as Clark's slick roommate. The film makes many references to "The Godfather" series, an apparent favorite of as Clark's teacher, the goofy monomaniacal Pr. Fleeber (Paul Benedict). Interestingly, the film was released the same year than the last opus of the trilogy, but I see it more as a coincidence, since the film is much more a reminder of how iconic the first two were."The Freshman" is still a delightful comedy, cleverly written, with the perfect dosage of verbal humor and slapstick, the journey featuring the Komodo dragon would be seen as an oddity considering the film's context, but it totally makes sense at the end. Eveyrthing brilliantly tie up at the end, even the weird affection between Sabatini and Kellon, the little spice that gives this film, its unique flavor ... with basil cream sauce.

The Freshman had Marlon Brando not consented to appear as a parody of his acclaimed Vito Corleone from The Godfather could not possibly have been made. It's the one joke that holds up an interesting, but hardly ground breaking comedy.I find it fascinating that Brando who would not consent to recreate Vito Corleone for Francis Ford Coppola in a flashback for The Godfather: Part II, was willing to appear in The Freshman. In 1990 he was starting to need money though and after that would need a lot more to pay for son Christian's defense lawyers. Marlon's last 14 year on earth were not happy ones.Fresh from Vermont Matthew Broderick is a would be film student with a supercilious faculty adviser in Paul Benedict who through a sequence of bizarre circumstances gets involved with mobster Carmine Sabatani who saw The Godfather like everyone else and acts accordingly. Of course when Carmine is played by the guy who created Vito Corleone it certainly helps.If money and implied threats don't keep Broderick around, the interest of Brando's daughter, Penelope Anne Miller certainly might do the trick. She's a young lady by dint of her father's position, used to getting what she wants.Maxmilian Schell plays a gourmet chef who apparently specializes in pork dishes like ham. He overacts who tongue firmly in cheek and this is a reunion film of sorts with his co-star from The Young Lions. And to keep the reunion going, Bruno Kirby who played young Clemenza in The Godfather: Part II is now together with old Vito Corleone playing the nephew of Brando here.The Freshman is a decent enough comedy for one that is completely reliant on one actor and our memory of him in one of his greatest roles.

The skill of this movie is how well conceived each character is. If you know the movie well, you can rapidly list in your head at least ten characters because each are so memorable; and considering that all these characters shared only 100 minutes of film - that's something. This is a combination of having well written characters suited to their actors - even the shipping stevedore Leo, aka Big Leo (they are synonymous) ranks as a strongly established character. Add to the mix a quick-paced story with a charming ending and what you have here is a comedy that ranks with "The Awful Truth" or "A Night at the Opera", and of course Rodolfo Lassparri would agree with the latter comparison. Back to character development: think of the bit roles and what the actors did with their few moments on film: the Aunt, the Professor, Bert Parks singing "Maggie's Farm" wearing a Tux and a Sombrero? Warped. Brilliant. The Bert Parks element of this movie may go unnoticed by generations to come, but for mine and for me I think it's great that he may be best remembered singing "There he is, your Komodo Dragon...", because, truly, will footage of the Miss America Pageants from the 70's hold water like this film should? I gave this film a 10 because it is a 10, and the rank of 6.4 (currently) is misapprehension.