Harvard Man

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Movie
German title Harvard Man
Original title Harvard Man
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2001
length 94 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director James Toback
script James Toback
production Daniel Bigel
Michael Mailer
music Ryan Shore
camera David M. Ferrara
cut Suzy Elmiger
occupation

Harvard Man is an American crime comedy directed by James Toback .

action

The film is about the young Harvard student Alan Jensen. Alan studies philosophy, plays basketball on the Harvard team and lives largely unencumbered in the picturesque surroundings of and in Harvard. He has a relationship with his philosophy professor and a steadfast friend named Cindy, who is the daughter of a Mafia boss . In a pub he learns that his parents lost their belongings in a tornado .

Alan visits his parents in the makeshift temporary storage facility in a gym and offers to help. However, his father replies that Alan should concentrate on his studies and the upcoming basketball game. Building a new existence would cost $ 100,000 that none of the three family members have, actually just studying at Harvard is too much. Alan returns.

Once there, he asks his friend Cindy for advice and finally for the money. He still thinks that her father is just a wealthy businessman, but a visit brings clarity. Cindy plans to manipulate a basketball game with Alan's participation and to capitalize on the predictable result with a bet. On the one hand Alan should get his money to be able to help his parents, on the other hand Cindy wants to enrich herself in this way. She does not tell her father and does not consider the possible consequences.Instead, she starts a daring game of poker with an apparent friend in a betting shop in order to maximize her potential winnings. Meanwhile, Alan receives 15,000 micrograms of LSD in the form of three sugar cubes from a student friend . His professor tries unsuccessfully to warn Alan about the drugs.

In the middle of the night he visits Marcus, the star player of his team, and asks his reaction if the outcome of the next game is unexpected. Marcus gets rid of him because he has a lady visit. Alan, who is plagued by a remorse, tries to contact Chesney, but witnesses a threesome between Chesney and an unknown couple.

Alan manipulates the basketball game and gets into trouble with Marcus. After Alan receives the money from Cindy, he flies to his parents. He hands them the money and makes excuses to ensure that the two of them do not find out about his illegal activities. On the return flight he swallows all three cubes of LSD, so that he shows a massive overreaction to the LSD. Meanwhile, Cindy is visited by Kelly Morgan, who is an FBI agent disguised as a messenger and secretary. She tries to blackmail Cindy, which she ultimately fails. Alan is mangled by Teddy Carter on the plane, but suffers from the effects of the trip. The two FBI agents try to get him to cooperate, but Alan only babbles incomprehensible stuff and escapes from the car. Completely disoriented, he walks across campus.

Finally he runs into Cindy and Chesney. Chesney has now learned of Alan's criminal activities because the FBI couple were her bed playmates. Alan flees from the two, is caught again by the FBI and can escape them again. Chesney can direct him by phone to a doctor friend, who frees Alan from his never-ending trip.

Together with Chesney he hatches a plan: At another swingers meeting between the FBI agents, another woman and lots of cocaine , Alan secretly takes photos and can thus blackmail both the FBI and appease the mafia. The film ends with a drug flashback from Alan.

Reviews

  • The lexicon of international films wrote that the film was " elegantly told " and a " parable about manipulability and the dissolution of social barriers ".
  • Thomas Brendel (moviemaze.de): "James Toback originally wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of Alan, but he is apparently able to differentiate between good and bad scripts."
  • Movieman.de: "Buffy as a Mafia daughter, you hear and moan, ah be amazed."

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Harvard Man. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used