The next movie out of the IMDB top 250 that i saw for the first time.
Fast Eddie (terrifically played by Paul Newman) is a pool player who together with his manager travels through the country to earn money hustling by placing bets on his pool games.
When he has to play one of the best players in the country, a fat man named Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason), he has to face his own issues.
The Hustler is a good sports movie in which all the characters have enough depth to them to make them all interesting.
Besides the games enough time is spent on the story outside of the pool halls.
A problematic relationship and the consequences of alcohol abuse are shown. The is an atmosphere of a seedy dark world in which you can’t trust anyone and no glamour is to be earned is shown perfectly. I’ve read that most shots the players do were actually done by Newman and Gleason.
The final 15 minutes of the movie made me increase the score by a whole point, it’s just that good.
If you like sports movies, not giving up and being shown the mental game that has to be played, it’s a movie you can not miss.
Score:8