The Hustler

Starring: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Myron McCormick, Murray Hamilton
Directed by: Robert Rossen
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sport
1961

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Expert pool player "Fast" Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) has finally gotten the chance to play against the "best" pool player in the country, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). After losing an epic 36 hour battle, he loses his way, only to find a companion in an intelligent alcoholic (Piper Laurie). As he tries to regain his confidence, he teams with a dark, selfish promoter (George C. Scott) who will do anything to get him back to the top- as long as it lines his pockets, too.

Review:

Tim: The Hustler is a masterpiece of filmmaking. It is not only one of the greatest sports movies of all time, but transcends all genres as one of the all time greats. I loved this movie. It features a fascinating world, truly unforgettable characters, brilliant performances, and nonstop drama. I was completely sold on this story, and I love the intricate layers of meaning behind the events of the film. This is a challenging, powerful movie.

I would not have thought a movie about pool sharks could be so unforgettable. While pool is the focus of the movie, it is really about so much more than that. It is about what it takes to be a winner rather than a loser, about confidence in ourselves, about character, about paying for our sins, and making progress in life. This may seem uplifting and inspirational, but The Hustler will just as easy crush you as pick you up. This is a real movie about realistic themes and realistic people. I was blown away by it.

The characters and the performances are so unforgettably intertwined. Paul Newman is truly fantastic as "Fast" Eddie Felson. This is an iconic character, and Newman plays him brilliantly. He is our protagonist, and we love him- but he is also a flawed, selfish, unfinished human being. We watch as he makes terrible mistakes and pays for them. Newman brought this character to life with his charisma and charm, but made us love him through his internal ability to act.

Newman is certainly not alone in this movie. I absolutely loved the character of Minnesota Fats. His name alone is brilliant, but he comes to life with the amazing performance of Jackie Gleason. Gleason played this role perfectly. He is an opponent for Felson, but we never hate him. He is a man to be admired and respected, and this comes through in Gleason's performance. With Felson, he is an iconic character. George C. Scott also gives a remarkably impressive performance. While his character is less flashy than Felson and Fats, Bert Gordon is vital to this story, and Scott's performance was perfect for this part. Scott balanced that likeable charisma with a darker side that made you wonder if Bert was a guardian angel, or the devil himself. Scott was terrific. The last actor to mention is Piper Laurie. I thought Laurie was fantastic as Sarah Packard. She draws every eye toward her, but not in a sultry, Marilyn Monroe type way. She is quietly brilliant, and gives a remarkable performance. She and Newman work wonderfully together, but her and Scott also interacted extremely well. I couldn't get Laurie's performance out of my mind- there was something so stong, and yet so unbelievably fragile about her performace.

It is rare today to see a single film with so many amazing performances. It should be of no surprise that this film garnered four acting Academy Award nominations. Paul Newman was nominated for Best Actor, Piper Laurie was nominated for Best Actress, and Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott picked up nominations for Best Supporting Actor. None of them won, but that is still very impressive.

I was amazed at how incredible the pool games were. These were edge-of-your-seat, thrilling and intense battles. The first match between "Fast" Eddie and Minnesota Fats is an absolute pleasure to watch. I was riveted and blown away by how powerful and engaging this scene was. I admit that the subsequent scenes are a bit of a letdown because of how powerful this battle was, but they are so important and crucial in their own rights. The picnic scene between Newman and Laurie was also one of my favorites, but there are so many terrific scenes that I can't go into detail about them all.

The Hustler is a truly great movie, and one that is also wildly entertaining. It features some of the greatest characters and greatest acting you will ever see. This is an emotional, powerful, occasionally unique movie that belongs in the pantheon of the all time greats.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Color of Money, Hud, Cool Hand Luke