Somebody up there likes me

Directed by Robert Wise, Somebody up there likes me follows Paul Newman’s Rocky Graziano as he establishes himself as a top-tier boxer after overcoming a tough adolescence and stint in prison. It’s a familiar character trajectory that’s employed to watchable yet disappointingly forgettable effect by Wise, as the filmmaker, working from a script by Ernest Lehman, delivers a slow-moving drama that contains a handful of compelling attributes yet never becomes as engrossing or enthralling as one might’ve hoped – which is disappointing, to say the least, given the effectiveness of Newman’s predictably commanding performance. (It’s ultimately clear that the film would hardly be worth mentioning were it not for the actor’s superlative efforts.) And although there are admittedly a few compelling stretches, including (and especially) Rocky’s rebellious exploits behind bars, Somebody up there likes me builds towards a climactic boxing match that’s hardly as captivating as Wise has surely intended – with the viewer’s inability to work up a rooting interest in Rocky’s success surely indicative of the picture’s arms-length sensibilities. It is, as such, clear that Somebody up there likes me works best as a showcase for Newman’s sterling, lived-in turn, and there’s little doubt, ultimately, that one’s ability to muster up any real enthusiasm for the material is directly related to one’s interest in boxing.

**1/2 out of ****