John and Mary (1969)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Boring, long, and too preachy.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Oh where are the snows of yesteryear...This is Peter Yates's tribute to the spirit of films by Truffaut, Godard and Rohmer. With Mia Farrow as Anna Karina and Dustin Hoffman as Jean-Pierre Léaud.A movie that radiates a wonderful atmosphere, at least for those who like feeling with the hearts and thinking in the minds of lovers - and sometimes denigrate their feelings and then regret what they denigrated and then denigrate it again...But it's an American love story all the same. With American actors who do not try to imitate their French role models. Mia Farrow is Mia Woodhouse from "Rosemary's Baby" and Dustin Hoffman is Ben Braddock from "The Graduate".This movie doesn't need a plot and in fact it hasn't got one. So, for once, the flashbacks and the interior monologues thrown into the dialogues and the inserts from thoughts and dreams and memories, all of these cinematic devices that are designed to keep the viewer interested and mostly just confuse him, here they contribute to the movie's ambiance.You should watch it with your lover by your side.

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.

This is an all but forgotten little gem by Peter (Bullit) Yates, who uses a sensitive and witty script by the excellent John Mortimer.The direction, acting, and general tone are near perfect. Alas it was probably super cool for a year or two after it's release and nothing dates like 1960s high fashion.You may catch it on a late night TV channel - if so, postpone your bedtime for 90 minutes or so and enjoy!Last thought - This film may have been the source for Woody Allen's famous and celebrated "subtitles" scene in Annie Hall, made several years later with Mia Farrow.

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.