Through the tail end of the 1970s, Newman became more selective in his roles, and appeared to care less about box office success, choosing instead to work with idiosyncratic talents such as John Huston in sports comedy Slap Shot (1977) and Robert Altman in Western Buffalo Bill And The Indians, Or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) and sci-fi Quintet (1979). However, in the early 1980s, his choices struck a better balance between critical and commercial success, such as Sydney Pollack’s Absence Of Malice (1981) and Sidney Lumet’s The Verdict, written by David Mamet. Newman excels as the washed-up lawyer who, to the surprise of everyone, not least himself, refuses to take the easy way out for once, and instead fights tenaciously for his client.

Screening as part of the Paul Newman: American Icon season.