Marty

1955's Marty won the Oscar for Best picture and also won Ernest Borgnine his only oscar for Best Actor. It also took the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d'Or. It's a very simple story of a man in his mid 30's who still lives with his mom and has never found love. Borgnine seems to have been born to play this role. His hangdog persona and the way he deals with rejection after rejection is amazing. I really didn't like the movie as much as I thought I would, though. The acting is great. Betsy Blair is very good as his love interest and I don't think they could have cast someone better as Marty's mom than Esther Minciotti.They look so much alike, it's incanny. It is even written by one of my favorite screenwriters, Paddy Chayefsky, who would go one to write one of the greatest screenplays of all time, Network. I feel like the film is too simple. There's not enough there. It starts out good by introducing us to Marty and my favorite scene happens pretty early when his mom is urging him to go out and he spills his heart out to her about how he is just a little ugly man and he is tired of getting his heart broken. The next chunk of the film follows Marty out where he meets a similar "dog" as she's described. They dance, go for coffee, stop by to meet his mom, and then call it a night. Borgnine's celebratory run down the street after dropping her off is another key moment in the film. The rest of the film, only about 15 minutes of it is what I really dislike. His mom and friends suddenly don't want him to get married and make fun of him for going on a date with such an hidious looking woman. He stands her up, only to change his mind and call her on a payphone. THE END. What the hell. first of all, She's by no means ugly. Unconventional for a movie star, maybe, but nowhere near ugly. Second of all, I really liked Borgnine and Blair's chemistry and was hoping for an onscreen reunion, but instead it end with a payphone call in which she's not even shown. Shenanigans. I also dislike that Borgnine is the one who can't find love and when he does, The movie makes it sem like he's making the sacrifice by finally choosing her even though she's ugly. It's kindof sexist. I know that was common in the mid 50's, but part of what makes a film classic in my opinion is it's timelessness and this is not a timeless film. It's enjoyable up til the ending and Borgnine delivers what has to be his best performance, but there just wasn't enough to the film for me.