The Color of Money

One of the greats of the 80's! Pre-scientology Tom Cruise was perfect at playing the cocky, young prodigy and Paul Newman was at his best as the aging master. There's still no better movie made about the finer points of pool hustlin'.

It's such a natural pairing of great actors - akin to The Sting. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is the underrated element who holds everything together. And it also delivers a solid uroboros.

a mean street version.. The Color Of Money The Color Of Money is a character driven dramatic feature about the teacher-student relationship retold in a mean street version. Reintroducing an iconic character like such, is obviously burdened with tremendous amount of pressure since the expectations are on the roof and fortunately it lives up to its hype. Serving in, an almost buddy relationship among lead characters, the feature is utterly complex to the core where the uncertainty plays a vital role in here. The script is much, much smarter than one usually gets in such sport features, since the makers doesn't feel obliged to explain anything to the audience, it makes them work for it. And as Newman quotes, "Money is twice as sweet as money earned." Scorsese makes it the spine of the feature. The background score is sassy with sharp sound effects and up lifting songs that are imputed in perfectly as it helps elevate the momentum as anticipated; Cruise humming "Werewolves of London" has got to be one of the highlights. It is beautifully shot and edited with stunning cinematography and colorful environment that makes it feel more competitive as anticipated. Newman is in his A game on revisiting his characters after years and Cruise is hyperactive and complex as he should be, the performance is on a satisfactory note. Price's adaptation hits hard and fast with gripping and revealing notions as it enfolds on screen with Scorsese behind the camera casting spells as he always does. Star power, music, the competitive showdown iterated with a nail-biting execution and the d.o.p. are the high points of the feature. The Color Of Money is a passionate project for Scorsese which is clearly visible and fortunately with a star cast like such, it comes alive on screen like never before.

Paul Newman returns as "Fast" Eddie Felson in "The Color Of Money," Martin Scorsese's sequel to "The Hustler." And though it may not necessarily live up to the standards of that original film or even climb to the ranks of Scorsese's best, there's still a whole lot to enjoy here. The dialogue is as sharp as ever. Tom Cruise and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are a delightful addition to the cast and lore at hand. And -- as expected -- Paul Newman's Academy Award winning performance is nothing short of magnetic. There's just something missing that the film's predecessor seemed to maintain a better balance of. Maybe it's the clear decrease in stakes this time around? Or an unneeded amping up of the cynicism? Maybe a bit of both? Either way though, it leaves a bit to be desired. Still, a valid effort and a solid film nonetheless.