An Exercise In Nonsense

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I saw this movie when it came out and thought it was ok, I mean Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks how could you miss? I saw it recently again (2017) and was deeply moved by it. Couldn't hold back the tears at the end even though I tried real hard. Faint memories of the film Brian's Song seemed to come back and of the film Born Free which I remember as moving as well.

When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit. Philadelphia for sure benefits from 2 great and strong performances by Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington plus a great song by Bruce Springsteen called "Streets of Philadelphia". But in my opinion it's not as good "Forrest Gump" or "Cast Away" or even "Toy Story 1,2 and 3" but it's not a bad film for sure and it tries to push an agenda for Human Rights and people's sexuality without getting too over the top with that plus i appreciated the small dozes of humor here and there mostly delivered by Denzel and like i said i can totally see why the movie got so many awards like Oscars and Golden Globes but it's not in the same league as other far better movies starring Hanks.

Philadelphia was an excellent movie but you don't need me to tell you that. It starred two heavy hitters in Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington; so really, what needs more to be said? At that time Tom was sizzling hot. He had done A League of Their Own and Sleepless in Seattle then Philadelphia. He would go on to do Forest Gump, Apollo 13 and others. So, needless to say, Tom Hanks crushed it. He played a challenging role and he played it well.Denzel is Denzel. He may not have a trophy case full of the big awards or the box office dollars that some other lesser actors have, but that's due to his qualitative selection of roles, not his inability to act.I'm just glad I was able to see two heavy weights be on the screen together in their prime. The subject matter was jarring--homosexuality and AIDS--and Hanks and Washington put on a clinic. Only if Mayweather and Pacquiao could've done the same.

It's hard to ignore the idea that the primary thrust behind "Philadelphia" is an entreaty to have a serious talk about AIDS; which meant a lot more back in 1993 when the fear was more palpable. But you can't talk about that disease without also discussing homosexuality, so the movie hasn't lost its compelling edge. And the really nice thing about it is that it plays the material straight and doesn't overdo things (even during the more dramatic moments). This could easily drift into Oscar bait, but it never does (at least, to me). Sure, a lot of it's hard to stomach, but it's some powerful stuff, and characters aren't just cardboard cutouts just dropped in there for the convenient teachable moment. And it's funny how the Oscars work; it's evident that Tom Hanks gave an award-worthy performance (transformation and all), but I was genuinely surprised that Denzel Washington was completely looked over by the Academy. This is one of my favorite Denzel performances.And on the whole, a pretty great movie.8/10