Sunday, August 19, 2007

Cool Hand Luke (1967) (nat)

Question: Does Paul Newman appear in any movie at the height of his career in which he keeps his shirt on and buttoned-up?
The Long Hot Summer (1958)--shirtless
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)--shirtless
The Young Philadelphians (1959)--sweaty wifebeater (close enough in the 50s)
Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)--shirtless
Harper (1966)--shirtless
Cool Hand Luke (1967)--shirtless most of the movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)--I can't remember . . .

There are, of course, many many more movies to watch in order to examine this question :)

Anyway, I started watching this one the other night with Joel but fell asleep in the middle--no fault of the movie, I was exhausted and it was late--so I finished it yesterday. It's good--and for reasons other than the poll above. Paul Newman is Luke a war-hero in jail for beheading parking meters. Once in jail he is a constant and growing trouble to the administration and an irksome presence turned inspiration to the rule-following and rule-making inmates. The turn in the movie, in Luke's character and the other inmate's regard of him, was interesting and well-done, I think. But I would have liked the ending to be different. I know that's what should have happened and it's realistic and all but that's not what I wanted to happen at all.

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