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Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

Director: Robert Wise

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From Time Out Film Guide

A disappointing biopic of Rocky Graziano, East Side delinquent turned World Middleweight Champion. The trouble is that Wise forsakes the terse economy and unpretentious naturalism of The Set-Up for a rather straggling narrative which spends far too long throwing up mildly socially-conscious observations about poverty, and trying to turn the whole thing into a movie with a message about hope and determination. It's still not that bad a film, however. Newman's performance, though inflected by Method mannerisms, is powerful, and Joseph Ruttenberg's photography keeps the atmosphere sleazy and strong. Perhaps the main problem is the fact that it is a biopic, thus demanding an uplifting ending which seems to go against the grain of the romantic pessimism that governs the boxing genre.

Author: GA 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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Cast & crew

Director: Robert Wise

Producer: Charles Schnee

Cast: Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Sal Mineo, Eileen Heckart, Robert Loggia, Harold J Stone, Steve McQueen full cast

Duration: 113 mins

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