Who payed the critics

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

'Marty' reminds me of the film 'The Catered Affair', which would come out the following year, and also star Ernest Borgnine. Both are quiet and understated, and highlight loneliness and disillusionment in very real ways. In 'Marty', Borgnine is a 34 year old unmarried butcher who still lives with his mother (Esther Minciotti). While she's part of the chorus around him which is critical of him still being single, which includes his customers and friends, they all have a part in trying to keep him that way when he meets a nice young woman (Betsy Blair). Borgnine is clearly a gentleman and a nice guy, but shows his frustration and angst in a couple of nice scenes. The film is especially touching in its moments of honesty, the most memorable for me being Blair explaining to Borgnine in the simplest, most authentic way, why she shied away from kissing him. There is such purity and grace in her character and performance. For anyone who has been lonely or wondered about ever finding someone, the film will likely strike a chord. It's simple on the surface but I liked it for its nuances. Director Delbert Mann and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky show us some of the destructive ways men behave towards women - looking at girlie magazines, reading unrealistic accounts of women's behavior in pulp fiction, and looking for 'sure things' on nights of revelry. It also shows us the tension between wanting to support one's parents in their old age by having them live under the same roof, but just how big of a strain that might be. Minicotti's performance as the mother is excellent, and we see how she understands this issue when it relates to her sister's situation, but then has difficulty applying it to her own. Lastly, the film has some nice street scenes, which underscore its realism. I don't see the film as worthy of four Oscars and four other nominations, it just doesn't seem to be in that category, but if you're looking for a quiet, touching film, this is a good one.

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?

Ernest Borgnine is probably most remember for playing opposite Tim Conway on "McHale's Navy." He has played many quirky characters, sometimes real villains. But his roots go back to this film, where he won an Academy Award. He plays a quiet, middle aged butcher who lives with his mother. When he's not working, he spends his time with a bunch of other guys. They are nice people, but they have little ambition. They are just marking time, with little in the offing. They talk and talk and talk. They have great moments of indecisiveness where they can't even figure out what to do. One night, Marty (Borgnine) is at a dance and talks to a rather homely girl who has been jilted by her blind date. They have a nice talk and he finds he likes her. His mother, of course, thinks little of her (the reason being that her "little boy" may want to leave her alone). Marty's friends get into the act, referring to her as a dog. He is getting pressured from all around. No spoilers. Just a recommendation that you watch this movie in some quiet time and watch a masterful, underplayed, human drama.

I am not a fan of dramas. For the most part I find them to be the same, someone has a rough history of relationships and then someone magically comes along. This does not stray from that stereotype. Though there are some interesting differences, such as Marty being socially awkward. I like that he was not a typical male lead in a love story. Music set the mood for certain scenes, changing from happy to mellow a few times. The acting was pretty good, but some part seemed to be over dramatic and unrealistic and that doesn't make it desirable for me to watch. The story was interesting enough, but there were points in which I found it hard to sit through. Overall a decent film, but I don't think i'll find myself willingly watching this again.