i be a fan of the offbeat independent genre of filmmaking and i find this to be a rather interesting entry into it . i really like morality tale but i feel a bit rip when the end doesn not end with a crash and burn ( much like risky business or the graduate ) . what do save this movie be the first ninety percent of it . here be my reason ( some spoiler contain within ) represent ( 1 ) i love the sharp dialogue in this movie . some of the line that i hear throughout the film i will probably remember for quite sometime . ( 2 ) adrien grenier performance be excellent and the best in the film . see him go through that acid trip be enough for me to recommend him for an acting award . the word oscar clip should have be blink at the bottom of the screen . ( 3 ) sarah michelle gellar be enticingly evil a grenier boyfriend . even her alter ego would probably want to stab a stake in her heart . ( 4 ) the acid trip sequence be about as mess up a any sequence i have ever see in a movie . a i saw eric stoltz face become visually distorted and i felt like i have drop acid myself . ( 5 ) the philosophical value in this movie be about as heavy a gold . i love it when movie inject philosophy into the plot of a film because the film be then acknowledge that something be suppose to be learn by watch it and therefore it isn not stupid . most mass produce movie do not have this phenomenon . ( 6 ) the most surprising aspect of the movie go to al franken . he be the last person that i would ever expect to do a cameo in the movie and i do not think his talent be waste or misplace . ( 7 ) this be the second movie i have ever see by james toback and i find his style of filmmaking to be an acquire taste ( much like that of paul thomas anderson ) . he do a splendid job direct this movie however . ( 8 ) i find the choppy cinematography to a blessing . if the cinematography hadn not match the somewhat choppy story to begin with and it would have sink even far in my mind . eight reason give a score of eight . the downer i think be ( 1 ) the choppy editing and ( 2 ) that sad excuse for a denouement and i believe they be interlock . grant the editing be rather sub par i believe and it be need to accomodate the screenplay . in order not to blow anything at all and they need to cut and paste it in that manner but the job be unfit anyway . i blame the denouement for that and if there have be a nice crash and burn at the end ( much like donnie darko and the dangerous life of altar boy ) the film wouldn not have be so choppy to begin with . all movie that be make to send a strong moral should have the character suffer a big loss in his or her life that they have to live with forever . grant the end do have some of that and it do not really pay off in that manner and i felt a little cheated . overall and i find harvard man to be an engrossing and disturbing film that interlock philosophy and drug use and and crime into almost nicely wrapped package . if the end have pay off and it would have be almost flawless . here end my rant .