Philadelphia

John Chard

November 11, 2019

9/10

What do you love about the law, Andrew? Andrew Beckett is a gay lawyer infected with AIDS, who in spite of being his law firm's rising star, is fired on a trumped up charge of negligence. Refusing to accept defeat, Andrew manages to enlist the help of homophobic lawyer Joe Miller, whom it's hoped, can prove that the firm acted disgracefully out of fear of Andrew's illness. But can Joe throw off his own prejudice? Can Andrew keep it together as AIDS starts to take a hold? Philadelphia was …

Peter McGinn

May 8, 2021

7/10

Yet another of those movies I watched close to when it came out umpteen years ago, and only recently watched again. For entertainment value, it hasn’t aged particularly well for me. I am not sure I can even describe why, except that it seemed to lack energy. There are a lot of good small moments, but its big moments struggle to live up to their potential. The courtroom scenes slow the story down in places, and the climactic scene that decided the case wasn’t convincing to me. Still, this …

Compelling performances by both Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. And to think I almost didn't watch this because the poster doesn't look like Hanks...

Filipe Manuel Neto

December 8, 2022

10/10

**A dense, disturbing, difficult, but highly relevant film.** Well, those who has the patience and charity to read what I write may have already realized that I'm not a big fan of overly militant films, even if they are causes or ideas that I defend or with which I tend to agree. For me, cinema is above all entertainment and artistic expression, not a political, social or belief manifesto. However, it is really difficult not to make an exception when it comes to discrimination against people …

CinemaSerf

January 13, 2024

7/10

It's quite hard to overstate how significant this film was at a time when AIDS-driven homophobia was rife. Right from the outset with Bruce Springsteen's delicate opening ballad, this effectively counters an whole range of prejudices that prevailed not just in the USA but around the world. It's also, easily in my view, Tom Hanks's best performance as he plays hotshot lawyer "Andy" who has been feeling under the weather. Blood tests tell him the worst news that he shares with his loving family an…

r96sk

September 23, 2024

8/10

Very good. I did think I'd enjoy <em>'Philadelphia'</em> much more though, solely based on who appears on the poster. The performances of Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are impressive enough, though I'd say they have done greater in other productions. The story they portray here is a sizeable one and it is well told, it certainly makes you feel uncomfortable in parts and saddened in many others. I do feel like the pacing could've been better, a shorter run time perhaps would've helped. Ov…