"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 cutthroat 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?
I've seen the unofficial sequel to this movie, THE COLOR OF MONEY, so I thought it was time to see the original. Obviously the crowing jewels of this film are the scenes with Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason playing pool. However, the film is quite depressing, even more so than MONEY. Plus with MONEY, Cruise and Newman were able to work more together than Newman and Gleason in HUSTLER. I'm somewhat disappointed with this movie but it was still very enjoyable.
