Richie-67-485852
Do you want your heart warm & toasty? How about a feel good movie that takes you for a journey through human nature up close & personal? Love, friendship, life, work, companionship, intimacy, parents, marriage, and all the normal life problems with solutions presented here for your viewing enjoyment. Who hasn't had some of the thoughts or experiences depicted in this movie? No one and that is what captures you right away. You could be any one of the characters in this movie that's how down to earth it is. Perfect part for Ernie Borgnine too who plays Marty the guy who is just out of luck when it comes to love and purpose but has everything else which fulfills and at the same time reminds you that something is missing. There are so many well directed and acted out scenes that make this a movie that one wants to watch over & over again. I have seen it 20 times and I am not through either. It captures the mood and time of that era and place that enables one to relate to it all without missing a beat. The main points of the movie are delivered up right away too with the remaining part of the film supporting all the premises. We go up and down and identifying with Marty, the lead player is not hard. He wants love but doesn't know what it is or how to go about it and from what he does understand, it just doesn't work for him. His agony is so heartfelt that it is like a cry to the Universe for help and it comes, but not in ways expected. That is what makes it so potent and memorable. There is an especially good scene with Marty and his ma and he is eating dinner that is so well acted out not just for the wanting a plate of your own but for the deep emotions and expressions with no resolutions but also no surrender either. Nice little glimpse into the Italian culture of the time too. Highly recommend a meal while watching, definitely a dessert or snack with a tasty drink and let this little gem go to work on you. It will! Enjoy Hey Marty...whadda you want to do tonight...I dunno whaddaya want to do?
charlywiles
Almost beyond hope of ever finding love, a working-class Bronx butcher meets a young lady at a dance and they fall in love. That's it - it's that simple, but out of this simplicity is crafted a wonderful, real, moving film about you, me and the people we know. Borgnine, in the role of a lifetime, is superb and Blair is almost his equal. They're two lonely hearts desperate for someone in their lives. Their scenes together are so marvelous that they make us care. We WANT to see them find happiness. If that isn't great acting, I don't know what is. It is also a credit to Chayefsky's fabulous script. What a perfect little gem of a movie.
t-murphy-94619
There has never been a pair of leading actor and actress with better romantic chemistry than Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair. They amplify each others emotion. Mary's loving relationship with his mother is also shown greatly. This movie communicates the stress of finding the love of your life in a heartfelt way. Their are certain points where scenes drag on too long. The awkwardness of the ballroom scene is perfectly timed but the out on the town scene seems to take too long. This movie does seem too simple at times. As if the characters are just going through the motions of life without a purpose but that is also the point of the film. This film has a hard time balancing the realistic feel of the story with monotony. But the chemistry between the lead characters draws it all together.
headhunter46
I'm not sure now what piqued my curiosity regarding this movie. I do like Ernest Borgnine, I've appreciated him in everything from war movies to silly comedy and not once did I get the feeling he was "acting". I didn't even know that Marty got an academy award for best picture until I came to IMDb to post a comment. So that is not the reason I chose this movie. I rented it from Netflix because the local movie stores don't stock these oldies. I think that says a lot about the academy voters. Lately, movies have to show awesome costumes and special effects to win best picture. This one had none of that and yet the academy saw the real story in this movie. Impressive.It moves a bit slow at times, I fear there will be few people under 30 who will appreciate this movie. It dealt with, no perhaps I should say, it demonstrated some issues that are still a part of society. Maybe in 1955 it was okay to portray Italian mothers as overbearing. I doubt anyone would make a movie like that today. And of course most Italian people have intermarried and their life is not quite the same as the ones depicted in this movie. But it sure made Italian mothers look bossy and controlling.Martys mother is frequently after him to get married. he is 34 and she thinks he should have four children already. He meets a girl he really identifies with and suddenly mama doesn't like her. She isn't "right" for her boy. Marty is a hard working decent guy throughout this whole movie. He has to sort some things out but in the end he does what I believe is best for him.The movie does a fair job of showing life in the 1950's Bronx. At least according to a couple friends who described it to me while in the army.This is a movie I'll watch again one day just because the acting and the message is so good.
AD
