User Reviews

I love Paul Newman. One of my favorite movies of all time is Cool Hand Luke. I think it's the first movie I watched, as a kid (10-12?) that I actually noticed that movies weren't just about entertainment. This film told me something about the human condition and I got it, not that it's super deep, but it was to me then and it still resonates. What made it resonate was Paul Newman. I immediately trusted him. I trusted that he was telling me the truth, even though I knew he was "acting." I don't know much about Joanne Woodward at all, as I'm not familiar with her films. This documentary makes that point very eloquently and without (much) rancor or guilt. I think it was a different time, but even so, Paul Newman recognized how brilliant she was and they were completely in love. Even his infidelity can be forgiven as it was obvious these two were meant for each other. Outside of the in depth look at both of their careers, personal lives, and politics, Ethan Hawke does a great job of putting that into their legacy on Hollywood still. The only thing I find a tad (and I mean a very small tad) is the cringey Xoom calls. The Imagine video ruined the celebrity Zoom call for me. Add to that, a certain amount of implied nobility to the acting profession I just don't see. Yes, it's an art form, and I love hearing actors and directors talking about the craft, but it's only during the 20th century that it became so ennobled. Used to be kinda trashy. I wish these documentaries would temper their patting themselves on the back with that more. Still, one of the better Hollywood docs out there. I always wanted to meet Newman, and now Woodward, and I would love to hear what they would have thought of this.