AaronCapenBanner Mathew Broderick plays Clark Kellogg, a first-year film college student in New York who has his luggage stolen by a small-time crook. This leads him to importer/exporter Carmine Sabatini(Marlon Brando) who looks uncannily like a certain Godfather Don from a 1972 film... Carmine uses this to enlist Clark into his employment, involving transporting some slippery Komodo Dragons(!) and then helping out in a fancy restaurant, where an elaborate plan to fool Carmine's enemies is to be played out.Clever comedy has an appealing cast and a very knowing sense of humor regarding Marlon Brando(playing Sabatini) being recognized as resembling that "actor" who starred in that famous mafia movie, and using it to his advantage. Otherwise this film is rather slight, but still quite funny.

ElMaruecan82 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.

rlong7246 Anyone who has seen Brando for years understands this. He finds the space in each role to try something totally unlike he has ever done. When you think about it, that is not easy for any actor. In fact, let's face it. Many actors make a career... making a career. They find one hook and take it to the bank for the rest of their lives. Now no actor can completely move outside of himself or herself in every role. But what Brando has done in this movie defies imagination. He takes a role that assumes he must portray a direct caricature of his role in the Godfather and then does not merely caricature that role; he adds depth and nuance beyond what even that role allows for. This is spectacular acting. The end, in any comedy, tends to be predictable, of course, but the middle of this movie especially, as one reviewer notes here, the dormitory scene with Matthew Broderick, and an earlier scene where Brando sips espresso with Broderick and discusses his daughter, are the height of American acting. You may think you can't see them at times when he squints-but watch Brando's eyes in that scene.

bkoganbing 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.