Watch John and Mary For Free

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Dustin Hoffman was one role post his Oscar nominated Midnight Cowboy and Mia Farrow was one role away from her groundbreaking Rosemary's Baby when they were teamed for John And Mary. It's a film typical of the times, hook up first and then get to know each other. Mia's already got an involvement with a public official played by Michael Tolan who takes off on surreptitious rendezvous only to pack her off when word of the wife or any and all of his 6 kids are around. As for Hoffman he's got a cornucopia of issues most of them centering around his mother played here by Olympia Dukakis.John And Mary is chronicling the Sixties sexual revolution and at least what we see of Hoffman and Farrow's characters they would certainly be recognized by today's audience. Of course there weren't a lot of sexually transmitted diseases then, when they burst on the scene that made a lot of people act more prudently than John And Mary seem to.I never really got into the characters in this film. Still it's a good time snapshot of New York on the cusp of the Seventies.

I saw it when it came out, when I was getting out of architecture school and have wanted to see it again but cannot find it. For some strange reason, it left a strong impression on me and I want to see why?! I recall Dustin Hoffmann was a furniture designer and made horribly uncomfortable furniture, but did not know it, which seem implausible because he looked uncomfortable in it. I was also intrigued by the design of his apartment as I am always interested in seeing how Hollywood seems to do things that look great architecturally, but which the codes do not allow (such as stairs with no railings). The relationship between the two also intrigued me as they obviously were interested in one another but were conditioned to be aloof, making it impossible to simply admit they liked one another. I assume both stars are too embarrassed to see it released, which is odd because it would probably be a big hit today as a romantic comedy.

I don't agree with Leonard Maltin's review about the slow pace of the movie. This is deliberate, and a sign of the times and the characters' situation. For those of you who are interested in Marantz trivia, in this movie, John (Dustin Hoffman) has an exclusive vintage Marantz HiFi setup. In view at times will be the Marantz 19 receiver and also the very unusual Marantz tangential record player... Unfortunately, the movie is not yet available on video!?

I know, this is just a small movie, but one that I'm able to see again and again, mainly because of little things as the bright blue sky upon Mia Farrow eating an apple or the original egg-cups in Dustin Hoffman's kitchen. It's difficult to explain but I love every moment of this movie without a strong reason: this is to me as an old family photo, not perfect, but still so dear... Then: good actors, original script, with refreshing ironic touches, and really beautiful set.