Overrated

Admirable film.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

'Nobody's Fool' showcases & salutes the impeccable talent of the Late/Great Paul Newman. The legendary actor delivers a career-best performance as an aging nobody, who realizes family values & comes clean at last. Newman's performance demonstrates this human-drama, with charisma & aura. Its a class act!'Nobody's Fool' Synopsis: Sully is a rascally ne'er-do-well approaching retirement age. While he is pressing a worker's compensation suit for a bad knee, he secretly works for his nemesis, Carl & flirts with Carl's young wife Toby. Sully's long-forgotten son & family have moved back to town, so Sully faces unfamiliar family responsibilities.'Nobody's Fool' is beautifully Written & Directed by Robert Benton. His Screenplay, which is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Richard Russo, delivers a story of pure emotions & redemption. Its heartbreaking & heart-felt. His Direction, as usual, is subtle. He, however, should be credited the most for churning out Newman's greatest performance to date. Performance-Wise: Its pretty evident that Newman is the life of the film. He's never been this good. Bruce Willis is efficient. Dylan Walsh gets some wonderful scenes with Newman & he enacts his part with sincerity. The Late/Great Jessica Tandy is restrained in a pivotal role, while The Late/Great Phillip Seymour Hoffman shines in a cameo. On the whole, 'Nobody's Fool' proves, that Nobody's like Newman.

Nobody's Fool is an excellent film of a superior novel, old fashioned in some ways, and yet homespun and timeless; a rough edged version of Norman Rockwell, who I do not mention as a criticism. With Philip Seymour Hoffman almost unrecognisably young, as the local cop; and Melanie Griffith, delicate and emotional, vulnerable, and sweet on Sully, the main character, played by Paul Newman. Jessica Tandy, a fine actor, born in England, who emerged with a late acclaimed career in the States, and whose last film was this quiet undramatic and pitch perfect film. Tandy, a successful stage actor in Britain and America, was passed over for the screen role of Blanche DuBois, although she won a Tony for it on the New York stage. Bruce Willis reveals a different side of himself, outside his tough guy roles, and all the better for it. An array of great American character actors, people we see again and again, pop up throughout; playing cards, eating in the diner, truly supporting. Names like Philip Bosco, Josef Sommer, Dylan Walsh, Margo Martindale and Pruitt Taylor Vince; a solid, in depth, pack of North American talent. It is directed by Robert Benton who also wrote the screenplay.

NOBDY'S FOOL As simple as an American story can get to .Essentially about an American real estate boom hinging on a theme park project that never takes off , guess what … the have's pack up and leave whereas the have-nots happily keep whatever little they have .Stellar cast with Bruce Willis , Melaine Griffith , Philip Seymour Hoffman but the high point is the magnificent and towering presence of the actor in Paul Newman . As a working class do gooder he takes his life easy , at times "irresponsible" but preserves humane values within , values relationships , cares for friends and the elderly , finds true love and free from guilt and greed . Jessica Tandy of the classic Driving Miss Daisy makes her last appearance on screen in this movie !!! A well deserving Oscar nomination earned by him , Paul Newman at his best . Wondering why all the good left leaning stories are made using the capital raised from just the opposite. Sure shows how the wealthy 1% ( occupy Wall street jargon !!! ) knows how to keep the other 99% amused watching their own miserable low lives .

Well, maybe two. Or maybe three.Everything was perfect, except for the cinematography. Maybe that was the cinematographer's fault or maybe it was the director's fault. Or maybe it was the editor's.There is a quote from John Ford about why he didn't like to use close-ups. His response: I use them when I think they're necessary, but generally they're all that necessary. Or something to that effect.And he was right. I dare you to name a John Ford film with a lot of unnecessary close-ups.There are are very, very few long shots in this movie. Consequently, you don't get get to see the characters interacting with each other simultaneously. My impression of this film is that is mostly an interminable series of jarring close-ups of 1-2 seconds: close-up of one character saying something, followed by the recipient's reaction, and back and forth ad nauseum. Almost enough to make you sea-sick.Consider the feeling that long shots would have imparted when you watch this otherwise great film, when you could see two or more characters interacting simultaneously. You never get to see that in this film. You get the impression that each actor was hauled before the camera alone to recite their lines and react appropriately, all for a second or two or three, then the camera switches back faster than stink to the character they're supposed to be talking to. Not a long shot to be seen.John Ford aside, consider the way Frank Capra shot films. A Capra-esque feeing about this film has been noted before. Same philosophy as John Ford. When you see James Stewart saying something, you see Donna Reed's reaction at the same time. Long shot.That's what's missing from missing from this movie. Bad framing throughout. It's hard to place the blame: Was it Robert Benton (director), James Bailey (cinematographer), or John Bloom (editor)? Hard to pinpoint.Otherwise a wonderful, if flawed film (reasons noted above).