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Paul Newman stated that the best advice Martin Scorsese gave him during the production of this film was, "Try not to be funny!" One cannot help but smile at the charm of this underrated film however. Universally known as the picture which gave Newman the Oscar statuette after six (nine during his career) nominations over the two acting categories, Scorsese has even said in magazine interviews that he only made the film to finance his personal project, The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). We realise the celebrated director has obeyed mainstream convention but his auteur energy never really evaporates amid the pressure of someone else's tale - something he has never been fully used to as his best work is almost always fresh and personal.
Firstly, the film stands alone relatively well even if we were to erase the excellent The Hustler (1961), its predecessor, from film history. Newman plays the gruff "Fast" Eddie Felson for the second time, and, even though it's impossible to say if the performance warranted the Academy Award, Newman still has the ability to play a dark and mysterious character at 61. Tom Cruise is the real stand-out though, combining his future virtues such as the seriousness and comedic qualities of Rain Man (1988) with the cockiness of Magnolia (1999). Na�ve he may be, but an equal match for Newman nonetheless. With a simplistic and predictable plot, the director in addition to the actors has to try and make a spectacle out of the film and Scorsese never disappoints. His uncredited voiceover as the introduction to the film is a nice touch, and the scenes involving the actual pool-playing are exceptional in their quest for tension, especially the close-ups, as the brilliant cinematography demonstrates a director on top of his game in one of his "lesser" films!
The extras
None. Surprisingly no 20th Anniversary release.
The summary
A Scorsese film is always a joy even if he cannot quite better the joys of the first Felson adventure. Cruise shows glimpses of what he is to become and Newman portrays an old master at work with the rejuvenation of Felson's new, and sometimes revisited inner depths.
