Review of Marty (1955) by Jeff H — 17 Aug 2011
Out of all of the "touching" movies I've seen, "Marty" is one that I can use as an example. Here's the thing: Marty (Borgnine) is a middle-aged butcher from the Bronx who just happens to live with his mother.
The big problem is, is she is more of a "smother" than a mother, and though she always is complaining about the fact Marty isn't married yet, she is too selfish to want him to go. On one of the many nights of the "why aren't you married yet?" discussions, his mom gives him the idea to go to the local ballroom to find a "tomato".
He is expecting to just have another heartache, but then he meets shy schoolteacher Clara (Blair), and they hit it off instantly. They plan to meet again, but Marty is tempted to not call her when his friends and family reject Clara.
Will he give into pressure or will he start a new romance? Fortunately, "Marty" has a happy ending. But why wouldn't it? Hollywood ALWAYS had happy endings in the '50's! Well, in romance movies.
With a lot of these rom-coms, it's always the same story over and over-- boy meets girl and they hit it off. But "Marty" is so much more because well-- it's waay better done than half the others.
Because Marty is middle-aged and lonely, it takes down one familiarity, but when the love-interest is as equally awkward, that's when you realize that this is a gem. And luckily, both actors play their parts so well that they indefinitely could be their best roles of all time.
Borgnine is really one of the most underrated actors, and Blair shows that even if you make just a few films, you can still have acting talent. And with the great script and score, it's almost impossible to criticize one thing about this movie.
"Marty" is really good, and I wish it was more highly regarded today.
This review of Marty (1955) was written by Jeff H on 17 Aug 2011.
Marty has generally received very positive reviews.
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