The Hustler (1961) Reviews

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Starring:
Paul NewmanJackie Gleason, (more)
Director(s):
Robert Rossen
Category:
Drama
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Member Reviews


Steve G.

This movie is pure classic ! Paul Newman gives the performance of his career. Jackie Gleason is tremendous. George C. Scott and Piper Laurie are great supporting actors - - the film is easily one ...
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This movie is pure classic ! Paul Newman gives the performance of his career. Jackie Gleason is tremendous. George C. Scott and Piper Laurie are great supporting actors - - the film is easily one of the best 25 movies ever made. Superb screenplay. Fast Eddie Felson (Newman) tries so hard, for once in his life, to become a winner and not a loser. But money, alcohol, greed and pride slowly destroy him...and the lonely hearts who also gather around the gospel of the pool table try desperately to find any sort of meaning to their own miserable lives. Life almost beats Fast Eddie at his own game, as a loser never quite knows when to quit. Director Robert Rossen gets 110% from his cast...utterly a masterpiece !
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Neal W.

The movie starts a little slow, but once the plot gets moving it reveals a fantastic story of a man who can't get out of his own way to win. Newman's character tries so hard to look like the best pool player ever that he prevents himself from realizing that goal. A lot of the themes that were so taboo when the movie was made in the early sixties will be old hat to younger generations, but the acting and moody lighting, more than made up for it to me. Highly recommended.

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lovelykd

Newman plays Eddie, a top-notch hustler with dreams of tearing down Minnesota Fats (played to absolute perfection by Jackie Gleason). Along the way he builds the reputation of being wreckless, ...
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Newman plays Eddie, a top-notch hustler with dreams of tearing down Minnesota Fats (played to absolute perfection by Jackie Gleason). Along the way he builds the reputation of being wreckless, ruthless but also unbeatable. A chance accident resulting from a hustle gone wrong leads him to love and inner soul-searching but also changes him forever. It's a great movie, not just for the pool but for the acting. An absolute must-see!
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Greg W.

Paul Newman had a string of great performances in the 1960's - "Harper" (not released on DVD yet), "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" - and a great resurgence later on - "The Verdict," "Absence of Malice," ...
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Paul Newman had a string of great performances in the 1960's - "Harper" (not released on DVD yet), "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" - and a great resurgence later on - "The Verdict," "Absence of Malice," "Nobody's Fool" - but "The Hustler" is probably his best, certainly the best film he's ever been in. He reprised the role of 'Fast Eddie' Felson 25 years later in "Color Of Money," but "The Hustler" is the better picture. The pool scenes are very good, especially at the opening and closing scenes with Minnesota Fats, but most of the drama centers around Felson's self-destructive personality and his relationship with Sarah. The DVD bonuses are okay - the commentary is a 2-hour compilation of audio interviews, not a direct commentary on the picture as it unfolds, the 'making of' picture is all right, and the trick-shot demos should've been longer and more in-depth (cool to see, but they ran through them too quickly).
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Megan E.

This film is fantastic! Full of riveting characters and deep emotions, the movie's story takes you on a journey and makes you fall in love with the antiheroes. One of Paul Newman's finest ...
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This film is fantastic! Full of riveting characters and deep emotions, the movie's story takes you on a journey and makes you fall in love with the antiheroes. One of Paul Newman's finest performances, and that's saying a lot! Definitely worth watching and owning!
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Nick Z.

One of the best movies of the Sixties.The literate,beautifully written Sidney Greenberg- Robert Rossen script is perfectly matched by Rossen's taut,powerful direction.Stanley Cortez's brilliant ...
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One of the best movies of the Sixties.The literate,beautifully written Sidney Greenberg- Robert Rossen script is perfectly matched by Rossen's taut,powerful direction.Stanley Cortez's brilliant black-and-white photography and Kenyon Hopkins's excellent jazz score are major pluses.But the film is too slow-moving and easily about twenty minutes too long.However,the performances more than make up for that.Paul Newman(Would somebody please explain how Maximilian Schell beat him for Best Actor????),Jackie Gleason,George C.Scott,and Piper Laurie are all magnificent,with Gleason absolutely stealing the movie."The Hustler" is a classic.
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John B.

Greater than good, better than pizza.

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Glen H.

Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason are great together. Cool Hand Luke does top The Hustler by a slim amount.

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Joseph K.

Anybody that shoots pool has to see this movie. It is a classic, and a very well acted movie. You couldnt ask for a better cast than this!

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Mark R.

five times you have sent the wrong movie you have sent the hustle instead of the hustler once or twice is a mistake five times is incompotence or just plain laziness i would like to review this movie ...
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five times you have sent the wrong movie you have sent the hustle instead of the hustler once or twice is a mistake five times is incompotence or just plain laziness i would like to review this movie but i can't since you can seem to send it to me
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