Nobody’s Fool

Directed by Robert Benton, Nobody’s Fool follows Paul Newman’s Donald “Sully” Sullivan as he goes about his day-to-day life among various periphery figures (including Bruce Willis’ Carl, Jessica Tandy’s Beryl, and Melanie Griffith’s Toby). Filmmaker Benton, armed with his own screenplay, offers up a deliberate, gentle endeavor that remains entirely watchable for the duration of its running time, and it’s clear, certainly, that the picture benefits substantially from its star’s commanding (and endlessly entertaining) turn as the affable central character – with Newman’s first-class work here certainly matched by his various costars. And while the picture’s episodic structure does ensure that it is, from time to time, not quite as enthralling as one might’ve hoped, Nobody’s Fool boasts an assortment of standout sequences, including (and especially) a riveting scene wherein Sully recalls his abusive upbringing, that cumulatively pave the way for an absorbing, emotionally resonant midsection and second half – which ultimately cements the movie’s place as a top-notch adaptation that more than lives up to Newman’s engrossing efforts.

***1/2 out of ****