Review of The Color of Money (1986) by Christopher B — 24 Oct 2013

As I enjoyed the film The Hustler, I was overjoyed to learn that its Academy Award winning sequel was directed by Martin Scorsese.

The intro to The Colour of Money immediately establishes who it's two characters really are by drawing a parallel between them in their general attitudes yet also showing the covers enablers in which they convey them.

The cinematography in The Colour of Money is excellent because of how it gets a focus on the characters in the room and the room at the same time, which sets the characters as being easy to pick up on in terms of physical expression of emotions within the minute detail, as well as the aesthetic atmosphere of the situation settings. But it's even better in terms of its sports based cinematography, that is its focus on the poop balls is very atmospheric and strongly visually clear, capturing the colour and movement of them in a manner that is almost artistic.

The Colour of Money is a great technical achievement, and in its manner of storytelling it is a massive success too. Although it's story isn't as deep or meaningful as The Hustler's, The Colour of Money is told very well and delves into the minds of its characters well. Critics may deem The Colour of Money an inferior follow up to the sports classic The Hustler, but the one scene in the movie that renders it a worthy sequel is the final scene and the final line of The Colour of Money. It's a wonderful finale because of how it ends on a positive note, and after it's predecessor ended on such a negative note about nihilism, The Colour of Money finishes the movie series on a good note with a sense that things have become good again for Fast Eddie, and after I walked out of The Hustler feeling down, I had my spirits lifted by The Colour of Money which is just one reason it deserves such immense praise.

One other thing that makes The Colour of Money such a well told story is that it has a very strong script which is rich with strong dialogue that allows the actors to develop and let words flow naturally from their mouths.

Basically, Martin Scorsese's take on this follow up to The Hustler is one of, if not the single best choice for a director to handle the film after having such an acclaimed predecessor, and his directional skill is almost routinely great in The Colour of Money.

But the cast is what sells it.

Paul Newman breathes maximum life into his performance, reprising his role of Fast Eddie from The Hustler and performing at maximum capacity to show how far his character has come in 20 years and how he develops back into the person he once was, the person with a passion for playing pool. This is the person he sees in Vincent Lauria, and so the chemistry they share is like Fast Eddie talking to the person he once was, which is really an impeccable thing to see. Paul Newman completes his performance as Fast Eddie which began in The Hustler in The Colour of Money, and that's what makes him deserve the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Tom Cruise was also surprisingly good in The Colour of Money, particularly because his character is a cocky figure. Even matched up against Paul Newman, Tom Cruise is really great because this time he plays a likeable character with the charisma of a boy passionate about pool who learns to use it with the intention to make money, yet he never loses a sense of enjoying the game. He packs a lot of charisma into himself in The Colour of Money, and it gave me a new appreciation for him as an actor. Although in real life he's a terrible person, he's a great actor and it took The Colour of Money for me to finally separate him and him as an actor. His chemistry with Paul Newman is excellent, and even though he looks like Eraserhead its difficult not to take joy in watching him work with Paul Newman.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio also provides a great supporting role and she evokes memories of Piper Laurie in The Hustler very well by working impeccably with the cast and script. The way her character's importance is downplayed but meaningful at the same time is conveyed well through her performance, and it makes her a great screen presence.

John Tuturro also gives a fine performance, and Forest Whitaker also makes a fine supporting role during his brief screen time and shows off his fine ability at line delivery.

Although it's not as good as The Hustler and the momentum is inconsistent in the movement of the narrative, The Colour of Money comes very close to being as good as it's predecessor and serves as a great sports film with true heart to it.