"Sometimes, nothing can be a real cool hand"
Man, oh man... what a movie!
After engaging in an interesting cinema chat, my friend confessed his profound admiration for Paul Newman, having some of his iconic films in his Top Three of all-time.
Over a couple of beers, I made a promise that night to watch a few of them.
Cool Hand Luke was among that list... and I can tell you, it stands the test of time.
Released in 1967, this motion picture was a commercial and critical success lead by Paul Newman, who had already cemented himself as one of the top actors in Hollywood.
But despite Newman's Oscar nominee performance, it's George Kennedy (better known to me as the Captain in the Naked Gun spoof trilogy) that steals the show in an Oscar winning tour de force. The man is absolutely superb. To be honest, both are.
In fact, one of the many qualities of this film is its casting... even actors with no lines during the whole film carry the right amount of gravitas to make Cool Hand Luke a masterpiece.
Their performances however would be nothing without the power of a strong script, which is based on a novel by Donn Pearce. Pearce was invited to adapt his own work for the big screen with the help of Frank Pierson, a combination that proved to be a successful one.
It's interesting to see that looks as back in the 50s, 60s and 70s some movies felt unconventional and almost "anti-establishment" - just like Newman's Lucas Jackson. They catch you off-guard, leave you uncomfortable and won't promise you a happy-ending. In the process, they focus on delivering a strong script brought to life by great acting.
Definitely recommend it
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