Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Diagonaldi Very well executed

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

DonAlberto The Hustler is my favourite movie ever so let me start off by facing the fact that I'm a bit bias. This movie should make any top 10 movies of all time. Every cinema fan out there who are worth their salt ought to know this movie; if not, should rush to watch it immediately or purchase it right away.It's got everything I ask for in a film: loneliness/loss, success/failure, redemption/emptiness and so on. The plot depicts all these emotions by showing us the life of "Fast" Eddie, a pool player coming out of OKC. Brilliantly played by a superb Paul Newman, he's an up and coming young man who cons other to make a living, tricking them into thinking he's the worse pool player around and then beating them almost effortlessly. Now he happens to be looking for a new rival: Minessota "Fats", who's got a legendary reputation as a pool player too (Jack Gleeson is, without a doubt the best supporting actor in the history of cinema and would deserve a review of his own). Slowly but incessantly "Fast" Eddie is dragged into the underworld where nothing seem to be what it looks like at first sight. Not that he doesn't fit these world crammed with losers and drifters seeking out a new opportunity in life or just a chance at all; actually quite the opposite, but as he'll learn later on every decision has consequences.

Lee Eisenberg One of Paul Newman's all-time great roles was that of pool shark Fast Eddie Felson in "The Hustler". It's a seedy world of pool halls and high-stakes gambling. Eddie's aim to be the best leads to some self-destructive actions, but he perseveres. Fine support comes from Piper Laurie - later known as the fanatical mom in "Carrie" - as a woman who gets Eddie to realize his full potential amid his damaged lifestyle, as well as George C. Scott, Murray Hamilton (Mr. Robinson in "The Graduate" and the mayor in "Jaws") and Michael Constantine (the patriarch in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"). I guess that we in the 21st century will be less inclined to admire Jackie Gleason's performance, given what we now know about him,* but it's still an intense role.The movie is not just about pool and the specific effects that it has on Eddie. There's the issue of what it means to be human: a tragedy forces Eddie to attain self-awareness. Another thing is that director Robert Rossen used the movie as a sort of confession. Much like how he named names to HUAC, Eddie figuratively sells his soul for prestige. It was one of the first movies to take this sort of an unvarnished look at ego-affirmation. One of the many movies that represented the new direction that cinema was taking in the 1960s.All in all, a true masterpiece. Maybe not Newman's greatest ever, but one that any movie buff owes it to himself/herself to watch.*In the book "Riders on the Storm", John Densmore recalls a time when Jim Morrison got charged with indecency. Jackie Gleason testified against him, as did Anita Bryant.

peefyn The Hustler follows "Fast" Eddie Felson, a pool hustler with personal problems. Perhaps it is because I am too used to modern movies about people with talents, but I found it refreshing how little the movie attempt to explain the activity (here: pool). We see some of the shots they make, but the movie is never about pool itself. It just happens to be the venue used to explore something different: the relationship between a person's talent, his character, and the facade he puts on.The highlight of the movie is probably the performances, combined with some great dialogue. The latter is likely not realistic, but it's gripping, and a delight to listen to. Paul Newman shines in his role as a conflicted winner and/or loser, and Gleason excels in portraying a man that is both capable, proud and talented, but also a subordinate coward.I love how the movie opens. You hardly get any background information about the characters, but are allowed a feel of them seeing Eddie first doing his regular hustling, then attempting to beat a famous rival. Had the rest of the movie been able to be as thrilling as these, the movie would have been one of my all time favorites. Sadly, I think much of the remainder of the movie is notably weaker, especially some of the scenes showing him building a relationship. Many of the scenes are delightful, but some feel excessive, not really taking the story anywhere. The performances are good, and as mentioned there are some really sweet and funny scenes between them. And the relationship between the two is important, and ties into the other themes of the movie.It's a recommended movie, even though it might not feel as relevant today as it once did.

Mr-Fusion You get a pretty good idea where "The Hustler" will lead you after witnessing Paul Newman's utter defeat at the hands of pool legend Jackie Gleason (man, it's cool to watch him shoot). It's such a marathon contest that the effects are devastating. And that's only in the first 40 minutes or so, and the depths that Newman has to go to to overcome his personal demons and experience rebirth are gut-wrenching. I guess it'd qualify as spoilers to say he comes back and wins, but not the way you'd think.This is a fantastic movie - about character, not really pool - and it boasts some amazing talent. Newman, sure, but George C. Scott's a magnetic presence in an unscrupulous role. and Piper Laurie is the painful reminder of the bitter cynical undercurrent flowing beneath all of it.Outstanding.9/10