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The Middleman

Play trailer Poster for The Middleman 1976 2h 2m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Recent college graduate Somnath (Pradip Mukherjee) is having a rough time finding a job. In desperation, he sets up shop as a middleman, buying goods at low prices and reselling them to businesses at a profit. Everything's going along fine until Somnath is asked to supply one of his clients with a highly unusual item: a prostitute. If he succeeds, he'll land a huge order. After scouring the brothels of Calcutta, India, he finds the right girl. Unfortunately, she's his best friend's sister.

Critics Reviews

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Elliott Stein Film Comment Magazine The burden falls on Pradip Mukherjee, a drab performer whose loss of innocence is uninvolving. Rated: 1/4 Apr 10, 2018 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader It has the best performances of any Ray film I've seen. Oct 24, 2007 Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out Beautifully performed, blessed with Ray's customary sense of balance, and wittily satirising the absurdity of bureaucracy run riot, it makes absording viewing. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review John A. Nesbit Old School Reviews insightful study of contemporary urban life in India Rated: B Mar 9, 2010 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 4/5 Aug 11, 2005 Full Review Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette Rated: 3/5 Mar 23, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member This is my favorite of all the Ray films Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the best depictions of life in calcutta in the 70 to 80s . Desperate times call for desperate measures as a meritorous student is drawn into brokery in lack of job . Ray subtetly potrays the intricacies of confrontation of father vs son young vs old politics vs daily life and honesty vs establishment . The symbolism employed by Ray such as the banana peel or the opening drawer show why he is the best filmaker in terms of human psychology. Special mention goes to Utpall dutt and Rabi ghosh. Rabi ghosh gives one of the most memorable performances of a high level broker whose rough body language is the way to success. ps- somewhere i feel Mr. wolf in pulp fiction may have been inspired by this character. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member When the protagonist of the movie, Mr. Banerji is seen go through the patch that he has to, it breaks one heart, especially those who have managed to stand up for themselves.. Just when a straight man does the job, society grips him from all ends, to pull him down, and thats what hits straight when one sees this movie.. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member #Ray A true Visionary! An absolute genius! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member very under rated..not so much talked about. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member An under-rated masterpiece! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Middleman

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The Middleman

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Movie Info

Synopsis Recent college graduate Somnath (Pradip Mukherjee) is having a rough time finding a job. In desperation, he sets up shop as a middleman, buying goods at low prices and reselling them to businesses at a profit. Everything's going along fine until Somnath is asked to supply one of his clients with a highly unusual item: a prostitute. If he succeeds, he'll land a huge order. After scouring the brothels of Calcutta, India, he finds the right girl. Unfortunately, she's his best friend's sister.
Director
Satyajit Ray
Screenwriter
Manisankar "Sankar" Mukherjee, Satyajit Ray
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Bangla
Runtime
2h 2m