One thing that will certainly aid me in my goal to hit 365 movies this year is the fact that each day, I am entitled to what the substitute teachers in our building call "Superprep". This is my 90-minute break in the middle of the day that is my prep period and lunch rolled together. Now, I have always used this period to the fullest I can, getting as much work done during it so that I won't have to take it all home. And now, I can use it to multi-task.
Over the last three days, both as I worked on other things, and instead of working on other things, I have watched the new movie on the count-up, The Sting, in about 40-minute installments. Thus, I am able to start typing my review of the movie as I wait for my webinar on safety in schools and its impact on the School Improvement Plan to begin.
Onto the review:
Paul Newman and Robert Redford are back together again. Butch and Sundance this time are conmen Gondorff and Hooker. As it happens, Redford's Hooker loses his friend who wants out of the business and is basically referred to Gondorff, who is considered one of the best in the biz. At one point, a character even says that there isn't any grifter in the country who doesn't know the name of Henry Gondorff. Hooker becomes sort of Gondorff's protege as the two of them plan their biggest con yet.
Looking at the other movies that came out this year that were nominated for Best Picture, I have to agree that this is the best of the three I've seen (the others being The Exorcist and A Touch of Class), though I haven't seen American Graffiti (which I've read was a great movie for its generation) or Cries and Whispers. The movie is equal parts dramatic and dryly humorous, which are among the main reasons (besides the leads themselves) that have made this movie a favorite of my parents'.
Score: 8.5/10
I absolutely love the two of them together. I think they easily rank among the best pairings of lead actors, and its a shame they only did two movies together. There was a sense of camaraderie that was so natural and so enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteBTW, it's rarely mentioned, but Eileen Brennan turns in another memorable supporting performance in "The Sting", that is largely forgotten because of Redford/Newman.
I agree about Brennan; I wish she got more screen time! Of course, I absolutely love her as Mrs. Peacock.
ReplyDeleteLove The Sting. If you watch American Graffiti, it helps to remember that Happy Days and the whole 50's nostalgia craze had not yet happened. This was the original work.
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