Review of The Young Philadelphians (1959) by Tim H — 12 Jan 2008

I'm gonna log this one under "surprise." Here's the deal: It's not that bad. I can't explain why it's not that bad but it really isn't. Here's the real kicker. I have some major moral qualms with aspects of this movie.

Okay, the big chunk of the movie. I f*cking loved it. The main love story between Newman and his love is heartwrenching. Because I come off as broken, I totally adore the fact that the woman in his life is painted in a terrible, terrible light. Oh my goodness, getting married on a whim is a terrible idea. Your parents approve of the wedding and you are even more pissed than before? I understand that the character is totally fictional, but women are crazy. I can see where the character would turn slightly disturbed from all the stuff that has happened to him in the past. I mean, women. Am I right, fellas?

But the major problem I have is with the end. I know that the movie was trying to avoid a Hallmark cliche' moment by having Newman do the right thing at his own expense, but really? Having him solve the case instead of taking the hard way out? That seems like such a copout. So why aren't I angry with this movie? Perhaps it is in Newman's performance itself. Newman, as proven recently with my reviews, is extremely versatile. He comes off as charismatic in all his roles, but doesn't treat the roles the same. I was rooting for him, but in a totally different sense than when I saw him in Cool Hand Luke or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Even though his character was throwing morals to the wind, I was still standing behind him, watching to see who he would backstab next. There's some confusing moments, such as his relationship with his boss's wife that never really play out as much as they could, but at the end of the day, I enjoyed the ride.

I have to really commend some of the smaller part. His one-armed friend (I think played by Robert Vaughn) was perfectly cast. I had never seen Vaughn at such a young age and it is interesting to see him a a youthful, energetic character v. the crotchedy old antagonist. I guess that's a cheap thrill on my part. Overall, I think this movie is going to be terribly forgettable, but I really had fun with it. I feel like the four stars isn't objective, but who cares?