The inaugural recipient of the Cannes Palme d’Or, Delbert Mann’s Marty, was the only film to win both the Palme d’Or and the Oscar for Best Picture. That was until Parasite came along in 2019. There are a few thematic similarities between the two, though Marty sticks firmly with the have-nots. Ernest Borgnine stars as the titular butcher and every Italian mother in his corner of the Bronx wonders when he’ll get married. Then Clara (Betsy Blair) walks by, and Marty finally sees a girl within reach. It’s a lonely film; populated by sad, lonely mothers, sad, lonely sons, and women who aren’t yet sad and lonely but will be once the world grinds them down. It’s a kitchen sink drama, one where it doesn’t take much to find a Hollywood ending. Thank goodness it does. Streaming on Amazon Prime.

The above blurb first appeared in the pages of Boulder Weekly Vol. 27, No. 40, “Home Viewing: Palm d’Or Winners.”