#jack warden
Being There (1980). After the death of his employer forces him out of the only home he’s ever known, a simpleminded, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful tycoon and an insider in Washington politics.
It’s not often easy to balance innocence and cynicism, and certainly not easy to do it with this level of charm. I don’t know if I liked this movie exactly, but I really appreciated what it did and the deceptively nuanced depiction it offered of how somebody can be corrupted by a world they don’t know how to be a part of. 7.5/10.
The Champ (1979). Billy Flynn is an ex-champion boxer who was KO’d by booze and gambling. When the wealthy, estranged mother of his young son begins trying to lure the boy away from him, Flynn must return to the ring to provide for his child.
I’m a bit of a sucker for a boxing movie. There’s something about the way they tend to allow space for male characters (and actors) to be vulnerable, as if the violence of the sport opens up a sort of personal tenderness. This movie has that in spades with Jon Voight playing a father desperate to stay connected to his son, and he really plays well into Billy’s flaws and needs. The plot does veer into melodrama, but still. It’s pretty good. 7.5/10.
12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet) (1957)
