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  YOU ARE HERE : Home > Categories > Movies > Drama > The Hustler
  ProdID: 710 - The HustlerDirected byRobert Rossen Product Score: 9.5 
The Hustler

Price : $19.99
Supplier :
Available : 15th September 2005

"Fast" Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary "Minnesota Fats" to a high-stakes match, but he loses in a heartbreaking marathon. Now broke and without his long-time manager, Felson faces an uphill battle to regain his confidence and his game.

It isn't until he hits rock bottom that he agrees to join up with ruthless and cut-throat manager Bert Gordon. Gordon agrees to take him on the road to learn the ropes. But Felson soon realizes that making it to the top could cost him his soul, and perhaps his girlfriend. Will he decide that this is too steep a price to pay in time to save himself?
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black-kat   Review #901 - Dated: 28th of September, 2005
  Author: black-kat

Having seen 'The Color of Money' and liking it (Hey it had Paul Newman and good pool playing in it alright Smile Icon) when the opportunity came up to review the movie that influenced The Color of Money, I just had to see it.

When the packaged arrived I ripped it open and there on the cover were two greats of the early sixties film era Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason in colour. Now I'm a bit of a purist at heart and I firmly believe that older Black & White films should not be colourised, as I feel they just don't have the same feel to them. So I flipped over to the back and had a quick read and there it was 'FEATURE RUN TIME: 129 MINUTES - COLOUR'. "Oh well," I thought, "it will still be a good movie to watch," so I slid the disk into my player and my spirits were lifted... it was still in good old B&W, no sign of colour anywhere.

With my mood greatly improved I sat down to watch and enjoy a classic movie, it is a gripping tale of one man's struggle to be the best, but at the expense of happiness. Paul Newman does an outstanding job of playing the troubled Fast Eddie Felson whos only goal is to beat the legendary Minnesota Fats (played by the amazing Jackie Gleason) until he meets Sarah (played by Piper Laurie), when he becomes torn between his love of the game and the love of his woman, but which will he choose?

Whilst the pool scenes are not quite as numerous as I would have liked, there is still some amazing pool playing to be seen, as well as the extras on the DVD such as the demonstrations and explanations of some of the various trick shots played in the film.

Overall this is fine example of classic cinema and will be retaining a place on my shelf for a long time.

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Printed at 06:14:16pm on Friday 29th March 2024