"We have a contract of depravity. All we have to do is pull the blinds down."
It's pretty cool when actors can actually play a sport or game really well, and in this case, Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason look fantastic playing pool as "Fast Eddie" Felson and Minnesota Fats. Fats has established himself as the best player in America when Fast Eddie approaches him in the opening scene, and it's a long, drawn-out duel through the night ensues, the outcome of which you can probably guess. Down but not completely out, Fast Eddie then meets a woman (Piper Laurie) who is a part-time college student, part-time aspiring writer, and full-time alcoholic.
The film's transition to their relationship is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, Piper Laurie is mesmerizing and turns in a brilliant performance. She plays her part so well she actually seems intoxicated in one of her early scenes, and her chemistry with Newman is fantastic, their kisses passionate whether drunken or sober. The middle section of the film also allows us the viewer to sink into the squalor of Fast Eddie's life. He's addicted to booze, addicted to gambling, and addicted to making a name for himself, the combination of which means he never knows when to quit. Newman is, as always, effortless and wonderful here. Unfortunately, the pacing to the film in this middle section isn't as good as it could have been, especially for a 134 minute overall runtime.
George C. Scott plays a "manager"/gambler/gangster who demands a rather outrageous 75% cut of Eddie's winnings to connect him properly to the right kinds of games, the mirror opposite of the 25% his first handler was pocketing (Myron McCormick). The threat if he doesn't accept is that he might get roughed up, and there is as scene where Eddie is indeed maimed that's pretty frightening. This along with all the drinking and addiction gives the film a feeling of griminess, and indeed there is no grand redemption or happy ending to the love story. There is a depressing feeling that even if you're great at what you do, cutthroat businessmen will always in the end be in control, and the best you can do for yourself is to understand that, and to have a degree of control over yourself. It seems to me that the film is thus an even earlier example of the "New Hollywood" style filmmaking than Bonnie and Clyde, which would appear six years later. Overall, watch it for the performances and the pool play, don't watch it to feel happy.
It's pretty cool when actors can actually play a sport or game really well, and in this case, Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason look fantastic playing pool as "Fast Eddie" Felson and Minnesota Fats. Fats has established himself as the best player in America when Fast Eddie approaches him in the opening scene, and it's a long, drawn-out duel through the night ensues, the outcome of which you can probably guess. Down but not completely out, Fast Eddie then meets a woman (Piper Laurie) who is a part-time college student, part-time aspiring writer, and full-time alcoholic.
The film's transition to their relationship is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, Piper Laurie is mesmerizing and turns in a brilliant performance. She plays her part so well she actually seems intoxicated in one of her early scenes, and her chemistry with Newman is fantastic, their kisses passionate whether drunken or sober. The middle section of the film also allows us the viewer to sink into the squalor of Fast Eddie's life. He's addicted to booze, addicted to gambling, and addicted to making a name for himself, the combination of which means he never knows when to quit. Newman is, as always, effortless and wonderful here. Unfortunately, the pacing to the film in this middle section isn't as good as it could have been, especially for a 134 minute overall runtime.
George C. Scott plays a "manager"/gambler/gangster who demands a rather outrageous 75% cut of Eddie's winnings to connect him properly to the right kinds of games, the mirror opposite of the 25% his first handler was pocketing (Myron McCormick). The threat if he doesn't accept is that he might get roughed up, and there is as scene where Eddie is indeed maimed that's pretty frightening. This along with all the drinking and addiction gives the film a feeling of griminess, and indeed there is no grand redemption or happy ending to the love story. There is a depressing feeling that even if you're great at what you do, cutthroat businessmen will always in the end be in control, and the best you can do for yourself is to understand that, and to have a degree of control over yourself. It seems to me that the film is thus an even earlier example of the "New Hollywood" style filmmaking than Bonnie and Clyde, which would appear six years later. Overall, watch it for the performances and the pool play, don't watch it to feel happy.