I’ve always liked Paul Newman. He was blessed with matinee idol looks and twinkling blue eyes and could’ve fully relied on those attributes to carry his film career. Instead, he went his beget plot and dazzling early on established himself as a maverick personality, with an independent mindset and a determination to perform it in La-La Land based on his acting, not his looks. Attend in those days, when the Hollywood studios were smooth more in control of things, that sail of gumption could’ve spelled doom for an actor establishing himself. But, the thing of it is, Paul Newman can also act - and act exceedingly well. So he was given license to be a precise actor, instead of a Hollywood puppet. He fought for the meaty roles he ended up with, when he could’ve made a solid living coasting in cinematic romances. So, yeah, I like Paul Newman.
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For me, there are two grunt gems in this collection: SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME and THE YOUNG PHILADELPHIANS. These are the first two Paul Newman films I saw, so they have special resonance for me. HARPER is almost as memorable, with its sequel THE DROWNING POOL and THE MACKINTOSH MAN being decent enough. Even POCKET MONEY and THE LEFT-HANDED GUN, two kinda bizarre films, have some justification for existing as motion pictures, because even at his least top-notch, Paul Newman composed exuded style and trek, that unmistakable Hollywood presence that made him a top cinematic leading man in his heyday.
Here’s the icy thing: all the films in this collection are being released in dvd format for the first time. Now, the special features are listed by Amazon so there’s no need to go into details. I will say that the extra feature I’m most looking forward to accessing is the audio commentary by Paul Newman, Robert Wise, and Martin Scorcese on SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME. I already maintain the individual films on VHS but the decider for my having pre-ordered this collection is the above-mentioned audio commentary. Three Hollywood legends chit-chatting about one of my current boxing movies? It was a no-brainer for me.
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The seven films featured here vary from marvelous to decent to Geez-it’s-a-good-thing-I-like-you-Paul-Newman. SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME is truly top-notch, with HARPER unprejudiced a notch below. THE YOUNG PHILADELPHIANS, which is in my top two favorites here (due to sentimental reasons) is a highly diverting soap opera-type of film. THE MACKINTOSH MAN is a elegant consuming explore thriller. THE DROWNING POOL is so-so; I enjoyed it mostly on the strength of it being a sequel to HARPER. THE LEFT-HANDED GUN and POCKET MONEY are my two least favorites here, even though both films have their absorb merit. So, obviously, for Newman connoisseurs, his best films aren’t in this collection. Off the top of my head, I’m talking about classics like THE LONG HOT SUMMER, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, HUD, Cold HAND LUKE, THE HUSTLER, BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID, THE STING, THE VERDICT, THE COLOR OF MONEY…heck, even SLAPSHOT is a attractive sports film. But, inspect, all those are already out in dvd. This collection is for the Newman completist, as well as for those who haven’t yet had a chance to concept his lesser known work. I can’t, in kindly conscience, rate this collection as 5 stars overall, because some of the movies themselves aren’t 5-star films. But it does fetch a very healthy 4 stars, as well as a semi-exasperated “Well, finally!” Man, I’ve been waiting for years for the dvd versions!
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HARPER (1966) is based on Ross MacDonald’s classic detective Lew Archer and is an intriguing mystery film. Newman is simply sizable as the chilly and unflappable Lew Harper as he attempts to ferret out a missing millionaire but ends up, as usual with these types of mysteries, digging up more than he bargained for.
THE DROWNING POOL (1975) is the sequel to HARPER and is decidedly a lesser trouble. This time out, Harper goes to Louisiana to procure to the bottom of a blackmailing situation and ends up meeting eccentrics. A boring mystery, and, in a plot, more of a prick of life type of film. But, if you’ve seen and enjoyed HARPER, you almost have to eye this. Plus, it features a very young Melanie Griffith.
Paul Newman got to picture middleweight boxer Rocky Graziano when James Dean (who had been originally signed) tragically died. SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (1956) chronicles Rocky’s wild, law-breaking youth and his evolution from an unpolished street fighter to an unpolished prize fighter. Highly interesting stuff, with a very rootable protagonist. Pier Angeli, as his future wife Norma Graziano, is unassumingly charming. But, fabricate no mistake, Newman’s nuanced performance carries the day and is what made Hollywood sit up and really pay attention.
THE MACKINTOSH MAN (1973) is a pseudo-Hitchcockian cool war thriller starring Newman as Joseph Rearden, a supposedly convicted criminal who escapes from prison in the company of a notice. Then, things secure more unlit and complicated. Not a poor gritty flick directed by John Huston.
THE LEFT-HANDED GUN (1958) is a sympathetic catch on William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid. As westerns go, it’s…not abominable, though it is a bit loopy at times, with regards to Newman’s off-the-beaten-path buy on the noted outlaw. This time, the frightened Billy the Kid is portrayed as, more or less, on the side of the angels who seeks justice when his friend and mentor is murdered by a dastardly lawman and his peeps. This is actually one of my least celebrated Paul Newman flicks.
POCKET MONEY (1972) is an offbeat original western-comedy starring Paul Newman and Lee Marvin as two cowboys who derive bilked in a cattle smuggling map by a two-faced rancher played by Strother Martin. This movie has its occupy slow sense of crawl and takes a while to accumulate into, as its not disquieted to go off on its believe tangents. This is ultimately a character spy revolving around Newman’s gullible Jim Kane and Marvin’s dim-bulb Leonard. In fact, their performances are the saving grace of this film. For those who relish contemplative, off-kilter films without lots of action, this one’s for you.
THE YOUNG PHILADELPHIANS (1959) offers up some very advantageous performances, with Newman doing the heavy lifting, acting-wise. It’s basically a soap opera sage elevated to the great hide and given a Hollywood sheen. Newman plays a young, gifted lawyer from the awful side of town attempting to scale Philadelphia’s elite social ladder. Jilted romances and courtroom dramas abound. Personally, I really dig this film.
Warners has been doing stand-up service; this is reasonably priced the extras are heavenly, the transfers are ample, and even the weakest movie in this space (MACKINTOSH MAN) is an efficient genre describe with some offbeat locations, so I’ll return to it even if it isn’t a masterpiece. While the space may be short on Newman classics (a la THE HUSTLER, THE VERDICT, etc.), all the film are highly watchable; THE LEFT-HANDED GUN, an Arthur Penn film, is quite underrated, and POCKET MONEY is a comic change-of-pace. HARPER and DROWNING POOL are well-made old-school detective flicks; I actually like DROWNING POOL a bit better than HARPER, due to its Novel Orleans locations and Walter Hill’s script, but HARPER is a classic of sorts. If you deem you’ll like it, you will.
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