pointyfilippa The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

vandelour Hoffman overacted and Olivier underacted. Between the two of 'em it balanced out sort of and let the storyline carry the audience along. There were some sappy parts with Hoffman but overall his performance was fine. The tone of the film wasn't oppressive so much as ratcheting up the tension with each scene. A good movie, maybe the best of the 'Nazi's are still around' genre.

gridoon2018 Tense and effective thriller with puzzlelike plot construction, flawless direction by John Schlesinger, a chilling music score by Michael Small, and an unforgettable villain in Laurence Olivier (the "is it safe?" line is justifiably famous). The finale is perhaps not all it could have been, but it does take place in an unusual location. Dustin Hoffman is surprisingly convincing as a long-distance runner, less so as a student (he was 38 at the time). *** out of 4.

Leofwine_draca Well-shot, well-made, quite brilliant; those were the thoughts running through my mind as I started watching this excellent '70s thriller, which sits neatly with the unconnected BOYS FROM BRAZIL. It's the kind of expert, thrill-packed movie that never lets up from the word go, utilising the cream of Hollywood talent and ability to create one of the all-time classics of the genre. As with the best thrillers, the plot is simple, Hitchcockian in nature: a graduate student, who enjoys running as a hobby, becomes caught up in a conspiracy involving a former Nazi concentration camp commander.To say too much more would be to spoil it, but what evolves is a twist-packed film full of great action sequences: there are sweaty chases, nightmarish moments of claustrophobia, shoot-outs, one of the best hand-to-hand battles I've seen and, of course, a set-piece sequence involving dentistry tools and a drill that has gone down in history as one of the most fear-inducing and repulsive ever seen. One of the biggest surprises I had was seeing Roy Scheider as a tough, muscle-packed fighter whose bout against a Chinese assassin is quite simply brilliant. Usually Scheider plays these lean, slender leading men but not so here: now that's acting! The main role is taken by a sympathetic Dustin Hoffman, required to do quite a lot of emoting in his part and never failing to do the job. The scene-stealing Laurence Olivier has one of the biggest parts of his later career, playing a thoroughly evil, cold and clinical ex-Nazi who you hope will get his just desserts by the time the credits roll. It works, because the film starts off feeling disjointed but gets gradually better and better as it goes on, as the plot elements fit together, as the cast list grows smaller and in the end it's just a showdown between two guys with everything to gain and everything to lose. Wonderful choreography, plenty of black humour, some unpleasant violence and a great supporting cast (including a suitably slimy William Devane) – what more could you want from a thriller? The answer is nothing, as this is one of the best of all time.

Gideon24 A compelling, if slightly overly complex story, polished and professional direction by John Schlesinger, and a pair of brilliant lead performances combine to make the 1976 film Marathon Man an absolute must-see.The film stars Dustin Hoffman as Babe, a highly intelligent graduate student who finds himself embroiled in the middle of an international conspiracy involving a cache of diamonds and a former Nazi war criminal named Szell (Laurence Olivier).William Goldman's screenplay, based on his own novel, is a bit on the complex side, but the complexity can almost be forgiven because the story unfolds so slowly. We are initially confused as we watch Babe begin a new graduate course and then watch a public argument on a busy street between two men screaming at each other in German which climaxes with one of their vehicles exploding. We are confused as we watch Babe's brother, Doc (Roy Scheider), fend off a murder attempt in a hotel room before showing up on Babe's doorstep. But we then realize that Doc has put Babe in danger by coming to visit him and has gotten Babe involved in a very dangerous international conspiracy where Babe is put in serious danger only because he's related to Doc.Schlesinger has crafted a story that develops slowly, but keeps us interested until we realize exactly what's going on and how much undeserved danger Babe is in. The film is most famous for a torture scene which involves Szell's former occupation as a dentist, but this film provides other nightmarish elements as well, including an absolutely terrifying scene where Babe's apartment is broken into and he is almost drowned in his own bathtub.This was one of the most underrated and compelling films of 1976 with a solid performance by Hoffman and an Oscar-nominated turn from Olivier that should make the hair on the back of your neck stand-up. A winner