The Color of Money (1986)

Featured Audience Ratings

• paul o

  
  That ending made up for the whole movie!

• Chris W

  
  I'll just admit right from the start that I am pretty much incapable of being too harsh on Martin Scorsese or the films he makes. No matter what, there's always something going on that merits them being given at least a mild recommendation. That said, what this film is is… More
  I'll just admit right from the start that I am pretty much incapable of being too harsh on Martin Scorsese or the films he makes. No matter what, there's always something going on that merits them being given at least a mild recommendation. That said, what this film is is probably Scorsese at his most commercial and mainstream. Is it a sell out picture? Not quite, but it sort of does stick out, probably as the least of all his work, mostly because of the fact that it is a long overdue follow up to an all time classic, and it severely pales in comparison to its predecessor. Here's the thing though, I don't think that Scorsese even tried or was interested in trying to make this equal The Hustler. He just wanted to do it for fun, and because, even in 1986, he had easily earned the right to make whatever he wanted. As a sequel, it's not great, but, as far as sequels go, it's probably the best in terms of working decently as a stand alone film (if you wish to see it as such). Take away the film's connection to The Hustler and it would be a decent, but less remarkable work, but because it does have the connection, it does work because Eddie Felson is a character who made such an impact that any attempt to see where the character ended up is welcome. The film opens with Eddie Felson long retired from pool, working as a liquor salesman. He's not interested in returning to pool, but changes his mind when he comes across a brash, young, cool and cocky hustler named Vincent and his manipulative girlfriend/manager Carmen. Eddie decides to make Vincent truly reach his potential, and, while some of the story beats are familiar, how the film reaches it's conclusion isn't totally unoriginal. The film does employ some of Scorsese's trademark touch (mostly with style, cinematography, and focus on character), albeit in a rather subdued and restrained manner. It's not without energy, but you'd really never know that Marty directed it had his name not been on the credits. This is the first time that a Scorsese soundtrack actually got on my nerves, and the film is a bit torturous in that it's anticlimactic and a perpetual tease, but then again, that keeps things somewhat fresh and unpredictable. The acting is where the film earns most of its recommendation. Newman returns to one of his best characters and for his efforts finally won his first and only non honorary Oscar. He didn't necessarily deserve it for this role, so the win was more of a consolation/career sort of thing, but the performance is pretty solid nonetheless. Cruise is in typical Crusie mode as Vincent, so even though he's unremarkable, it's still a passable and adequate performance. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is quite good as Carmen thoguh, and her character is one of the more interesting ones. John Turturro briefly shows up, and it would have been great had he been used more, but he does good with what he's given. Forest Whitaker also shows up for an extended cameo, and it's actually probably the strongest scene of the film. This film just feels like the damndest thing for me because it's Scorsese going more commercial yet still not playing by the rules. He isn't getting lazy, but he's not doing anything truly special either. Still though, a lot of things are done better as a result of his involvement, even if this still results in being one of his lesser works, if not the least (given the ones I've seen, that is). I think the best way to describe this film, and one of the biggest reasosns to see it, given how I've rambled on, is to do it in one word: fascinating.

• Mark W

  
  It's a salivating inducing prospect for any film fan to have old hands Martin Scorsese and Paul Newman and new hand Tom Cruise combine, to follow on the story of pool shark 'Fast Eddie' Felson from Robert Rossen's classic 1961 film "The Hustler".… More
  It's a salivating inducing prospect for any film fan to have old hands Martin Scorsese and Paul Newman and new hand Tom Cruise combine, to follow on the story of pool shark 'Fast Eddie' Felson from Robert Rossen's classic 1961 film "The Hustler". Attempting a sequel to that great film may seem like blashpemy but if anyone can pull it off, these three can. Aged pool hustler 'Fast Eddie' Felson (Newman) discovers a younger version of himself in small-time hotshot Vincent Lauria (Cruise), who's bubbling with talent and attitude and decides to mould him into a hustler just like he used to be. But Vincent's mouthy lack of restraint begins to spoil a perfect partnership and Eddie considers another shot at the big time himself. Scorsese crafts a film that compounds most peoples expectations and first off, it seems like a waste of time and talent. However, on repeat veiwings this stands alone as a very fine loose sequel and a great film in it's own right. Newman as ever is absolutely superb (finally grabbing that elusive Oscar Award) as the embittered and disillusioned hustler, now working a living from seedy pool hall to seedy pool hall. Scorsese brings his usual professional approach to what is an unusual choice of film for him. His cracking of the pool balls, tobacco filled halls and fast talking cons are spot on and helped by some rich and inventive camerawork by Michael Ballhaus. Despite these veterans impressively plying their trade though, they are almost upstaged by the cocksure vibrancy of Cruise. His performance is alive, energetic, and overall what he's supposed to be...an irritating little shit. It's a fabulous turn from him and love him or loathe him, it's a reminder of how good an actor he can be. Shake this up with a few supporting turns from the likes of John Turturro and Forest Whitaker and the ingredients are all there. What it just about lacks though, is the finished article. The film heads along the path of an inevitable showdown between teacher and student and then frustratingly doesn't deliver. Maybe this is the correct choice from Scorsese, maybe he wanted to avoid the cliched ending but you can't help but feel a little disappointed in not seeing it happen. The anti-climactic ending threatens to undo the whole film but the talent involved shines through, in what is a richly textured drama with sharp dialogue and two magnificent lead performances.

• Conner R

  
  Crappy 80s soundtrack aside, this is an excellent movie. It's a belated sequel to say the least, but it is well worth the wait. Fast Eddie Felson is back in a way that no one could have expected. While it is a continuation of his story, it also manages to stand alone. However, it… More
  Crappy 80s soundtrack aside, this is an excellent movie. It's a belated sequel to say the least, but it is well worth the wait. Fast Eddie Felson is back in a way that no one could have expected. While it is a continuation of his story, it also manages to stand alone. However, it is not as powerful a story if you haven't seen The Hustler. Paul Newman deserves every bit of praise for his performance, it was in every way flawless.

• Tim S

  
  Haven't seen it in a long time.

• Anthony L

  
  Scorsese, fantastic! Newman, awesome! Cruise, not so good! I try very hard not to think of this as a sequel to The Hustler, I wish it wasn?t. It was a little ordatious and arrogant of Scorsese really!

• Tim S

  
  The first half of this movie oozes cool. The set up is so great because you know Fast Eddie and you are automatically hooked. Paul Newman is brilliant giving us another chapter in the life of a legendary character. And to see Tom Cruise in all his dumb guy, cocky asshole glory is fun… More
  The first half of this movie oozes cool. The set up is so great because you know Fast Eddie and you are automatically hooked. Paul Newman is brilliant giving us another chapter in the life of a legendary character. And to see Tom Cruise in all his dumb guy, cocky asshole glory is fun to watch. And of course, it's directed masterfully by Marty in full on show off mode, pulling off shots and transitions with a flair that any Casino fan such as myself can appreciate. If you are going to be excessive (this movie screams eighties excess), at least you get to watch a guy like Scorsese blow his load and not feel jipped. My problem came in the later half of the movie where I really feel the film falls apart. The ending was head scratching and there were times where the music was irritating as hell. Great showings by the dependable Turturro and Whitaker, but I wish they would have focused more on the relationship between Newman and his woman.

• Lenny M

  
  Young Tom Cruise all giddy with smiles and a pool stick to do ninja wif. Newman is the movie who tries to shake off the rust from years out of the pool game since 1960's The Hustler, which was an interesting transition. Cool but not exciting.

• Michael G

  
  I'm probably one of 23 people on the entire planet who didn't like The Hustler and its sequel, The Color of Money wasn't worlds better. Paul Newman was great and Tom Cruise generally makes you want to slap him with the exception of a few scenes. That Forest Whitaker… More
  I'm probably one of 23 people on the entire planet who didn't like The Hustler and its sequel, The Color of Money wasn't worlds better. Paul Newman was great and Tom Cruise generally makes you want to slap him with the exception of a few scenes. That Forest Whitaker scene was kind of heartbreaking and the ending was a textbook example of anticlimactic. Maybe with this one, like its predecessor, I'm missing the point. While The Color of Money isn't Martin Scorsese's best work, the direction gets 2nd billing behind Newman with the sharp and snappy dialogue getting a very close 3rd.

• Cassie H

  
  This is a great Cruise/Newman film.

• danny d

  
  this is an excellent film. the story was very interesting and its easy to invest in the characters. this semi-sequel wasnt quite as good as the hustler, but it did flow a little better. newmans performance was better in the original, but he was very good in this one and deserved… More
  this is an excellent film. the story was very interesting and its easy to invest in the characters. this semi-sequel wasnt quite as good as the hustler, but it did flow a little better. newmans performance was better in the original, but he was very good in this one and deserved his oscar. cruise was asked to play a character that annoys a bit too much, but the fact that he annoyed me means he played the character well. over all a great future classic.

• Alice S

  
  I don't dig Martin Scorsese films at all (except "Mean Streets," that was boss. "The Age of Innocence" too but that's just cuz I liked the book). The cinematography was so cloying. Instead of relying on the natural cool of Newman and the game of pool,… More
  I don't dig Martin Scorsese films at all (except "Mean Streets," that was boss. "The Age of Innocence" too but that's just cuz I liked the book). The cinematography was so cloying. Instead of relying on the natural cool of Newman and the game of pool, Scorsese/Ballhaus "over-grooves" it with zooms, pans, flashy edits, and deliberate power-play angles. Story lacks the heart of its prequel, soundtrack sticks out like a sore thumb, and Tom Cruise is a spastic space monkey. And what a blueball of a freeze frame ending.

• Sarah G

  
  <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/5b876250.jpg" border="0"alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a> Pool hustler Fast… More
  <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/5b876250.jpg" border="0"alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a> Pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson finds the young, promising pool player Vincent in a local bar and he sees in him a younger version of himself. To try and make it as in the old days, Eddie offers to teach Vincent how to be a hustler. After some hesitations Vincent accepts and Eddie takes him and Vincent's girlfriend Carmen on a tour through the country to work the pool halls. However, Vincent's tendency to show off his talent and by doing so warning off the players and losing money, soon leads to a confrontation with Eddie. After watching 14 of Scorsese's movies, this is one of my favourites. Naturally it's not a 5 star movie, but the whole film just has that little something which you just love. Scorsese's direction here is pretty good but not what you would expect from Raging Bull of that decade. The Color Of Money doesn't really feel like it's directed by Scorsese at all, as he doesn't use made of the usual trademarks in his films. For one thing we see a whole new set of actors, and the plot isn't what you've seen before either. The cinematography here has the dark colors and grainy '80s vibe are present in every frame. Likewise he's using the quick-cuts and zooms and iconic panning shots that we've seen in other films such as Goodfellas, Raging Bull. Essentially, the film is a character study in the first half of the movie. We are depicted the characters of Vincent and Eddie from the opening piece and a brilliant piece of drama. I've read other reviews that state the second half isn't as good, I would disagree We begin to understand Paul Newman's character more and by the end of the film, it's a film about him rather than Vincent. I've never seen The Hustler(1961) before, so I really don't know if this is a good sequal or not. For sure I'll rent it soon and see. The cast is pretty good. Paul Newman shines as Fast Eddie Felson(and deservidly won the oscar,) Tom Cruise is resonable but I'm not a fan of his anyway, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was possibly better than Cruise(which got her an oscar nomination, also interesting to see Forrest Whittaker in an early role as well. Overall, the film is an authentic look at the worls of Pool games and one great character interaction. Recomended

• Pierluigi P

  
  Sequel to an undisputable classic. Scorsese delivers a fine cocktail, great timing, photography, and performances, especially Paul Newman's "fast" Eddie Felson the one and only hustler, this time back for some more struggle against himself.

• xGary X

  
  Decent but unsurprisingly, inferior sequel to The Hustler. The fact that Paul Newman acts Tom Cruise off the screen will also fail to induce coronaries.

• Dean M

  
  The sequel of <i>The Hustler</i> is really exciting with the pool games and Paul Newman returns as old Eddie after 25 years.

• Al S

  
  Paul Newman is fantastic in his classic role frome The Hustler. One of his performances. A superb flick. Scorsese delivers another well crafted film. Brilliantly acted, teriffcially written and wonderfully shot.

• Byron B

  
  Fast Eddie returns, at first very much like his old mentor Bert Gordon, he mainly counts on his talent for hustling psychologically now. Vince is the new cocky youngster with so much talent it manifests itself in Jedi/Samurai/Kung Fu moves with a pool cue. He is innocent with no… More
  Fast Eddie returns, at first very much like his old mentor Bert Gordon, he mainly counts on his talent for hustling psychologically now. Vince is the new cocky youngster with so much talent it manifests itself in Jedi/Samurai/Kung Fu moves with a pool cue. He is innocent with no knowledge of or motivation to hustle though. Vince's girlfriend Carmen is concerned with money and the hustle and so basically sells Vince's soul to Eddie without his knowledge. Vince's childlike naivete is a BIG difference from what Eddie was like when he was young, so Vince's heart is never really in the hustle until Eddie walks out on the young couple. Eddie is incredibly ashamed when he gets hustled by a young Forest Whitaker and gives up on being a mentor. Eddie rediscovers his love for playing pool, corrects his sight with glasses, re-trains himself from the bottom up, and enters the same national pool competition that he sent young Vince and Carmen to. Eddie becomes sad, but more determined, when he finds out Vince has lost his innocence. After all, Eddie has rediscovered Character and hopefully can knock some of that cockiness out of the young guy, even if it takes 100 games.

• Mike T

  
  One of Scorsese's lighter films, The Color of Money is very entertaining and very well-acted.

• Jonny C

  
  This is one of my favourite Scorsese movies. I love how it's directed through the scummy streets of America and that the actors all have a good chemistry and actually play themselves. Although I've seen the Hustler which was a good insight, I thought it was a bit dull.

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