Review of Somebody Up There Likes Me (2013) by Andrew G — 17 Aug 2009
The second Robert Wise movie about boxing, SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME followed his earlier movie THE SET-UP. SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME is a biography of the hard knocks of life that boxer Rocky Graziano rebounded from to become a media celebrity in the ring.
Paul Newman steps outside of his usual easy going demeanor to play Rocky as a tough guy who got a lot of bad breaks before things got better for him. Okay, it is a formulaic biography with all the right elements and some contrivances to boot, but Wise directs it well and he benefits from a strong cast, especially McQueen in a pre "Blob" role as a juvenile delinquent.
Rocky really had a terrible upbringing and a mean-spirited dad (Harold J. Stone at his meanest), but he manages to hold on long enough to win in the end. Great black & white photography and the shots of New York with the bridges looming up in the distance over the tops of the tenements is evocative.
Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Sal Mineo and Eileen Herckart round out a solid cast. There are is inevitable scene where Rocky has to refuse taking a dive. He winds up behind bars early on as a rebellious youth.
Definitely worth watching.
This review of Somebody Up There Likes Me (2013) was written by Andrew G on 17 Aug 2009.
Somebody Up There Likes Me has generally received positive reviews.
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