Review of Nobody's Fool

Nobody's Fool has a familiar tone to it. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd swear I actually watched this movie sometime in the past. It is a story about a curmudgeon played by Paul Newman, who lives in a small town where everybody knows everyone else. He has a number of close friends and also some friendly rivalries, and he spends the film trying to connect with his estranged son. It feels like a plot I've seen many times before, but Paul Newman elevates a lot of the emotional moments. He has this ability to play a scene with anger and yet he gives you just enough of a hint that underneath that anger is sadness, regret, and so many other complex emotions.

There isn't a ton of story to Nobody's Fool. We see a few relationships grow and at least one fall apart. However, there's something about the quaint tone of the film that makes all of this feel like stuff that happens every other day in this close-knit community. Nobody's Fool is the kind of movie that I thought was going to get boring, but I managed to stay engaged through the entire thing. There was enough depth to the main character that I wanted to see if he could turn his life around and start making some good decisions. This is the kind of movie I like to compare to comfort food. It's nice and pleasant to watch, it makes you feel good, and even gives you a few laughs along the way. It's never going to be a favorite of mine, but I'd be happy to watch it again on a quiet day at home.