Robert Redford, RIP

I can’t say I was the biggest Redford fan in the world. I certainly liked him well enough in several roles, but when facing off with Paul Newman, no one ever questioned who was the better actor. But he was more than capable, especially if the role wasn’t overly serious. He’s not the problem in The Natural, for example, though it’s not a very good movie. The Sting is an all time favorite of mine in terms of pure entertainment and he’s perfectly acceptable in that role. I feel the same about his direction, which was aimed higher than mass market pablum, but not really too high. I haven’t seen Quiz Show in a million years, but I certainly liked it at the time. I’ve never seen Ordinary People at all. And of course, he was critically important in the independent film movement of the 90s through Sundance, even though it escaped his control and became bullshit, which he himself rued. RIP to an icon, if nothing else.