The Color of Money (1986)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Excellent, a Must See

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

When you look at the folks involved here it would be a given that you'd want to rent a copy of The color of money- Martin Scorsese director, Paul Newman and Tom Cruise starring. This is something. Add to it this is a sequel to one of the most endearing films of all time- The Hustler. Paul Newman reprises his role, much aged he needs a protégé pool player and he finds him in Tom Cruise's character. The film is good, especially the camera shots around the pool table but there is also great character conflict here. I suggest you see The Hustler and then check out the Color of Money .

This movie is an excellent movie about pool and makes it look so easy when these excellent actors play it. Makes it look real easy. Tom Cruise is brilliant and it just shows what a great actor he always was, because he learnt to play pool very well for this movie. One of his many skills. I think this is the first movie I've seen with Newman, he was TC's inspiration, and he indeed looks like a good actor.This movie also shows you how pool players make money. It also shows some interesting ideas. 1. Manipulation. In order to make money in some professions people use manipulation. For example in this movie pool players when playing with opponent would on purpose lose a few times until they stake more and then they would win. So, like Newman said it is important to learn how to lose as well. Also he said since Tom Cruise acts very childishly, no one takes him seriously, so he can fool them even further. 2. Interesting quote from Newman, which basically says that if you do something very well then money will just come to you. (Glavnoe eto chto to umet, i ne prosto umet, a lucse vsex ostalnyx. Togda dengi ne problema, ix nuzhno tolko vziat.)

I wanted to like this movie. I really did. When I heard that it was a sequel to THE HUSTLER, one of my all-time favourite movies, and directed by Martin Scorsese, I had to see it. Sadly, the result was a disappointment, hardly a sequel in the truest sense of the word. Sure, its main character is a pool player named Eddie Felson and he is played by Paul Newman, just as in the first film. Okay, up to that point. But beyond that, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that young Eddie Felsen and the older, more mature Eddie Felsen is even the same person. Too many background details are either forgotten or ignored, not the least of which was his thrashing of Minnesota Fats, an expert pool player who remained undefeated for more than fifteen years, making him the man to be reckoned with. Surely that is the stuff of legend – at least among pool players who take the game seriously – yet no one seems to even be aware of it in the second movie. In fact, the name Minnesota Fats doesn't even enter the conversation. Nor is it explained what turns Felson's life took after his acrimonious split with manager Bert Gordon (George C. Scott, in the original) who vowed that he would never shoot big-time pool again. And Eddie lives alone now. Does he ever have any regret about the shabby way he treated his girlfriend (Piper Laurie) who was driven to suicide and best friend (Myron McCormack) who he dumped along the way in his incessant drive to be the best?Such questions deserve at least a nodding reference, but none come into play and what we are left with is a fairly standard story of a liquor salesman (Newman) who occasionally plays pool and decides to mentor a young gun, Vincent (Tom Cruise), to hustle high-stakes games and split the take. Inevitably the two must square off to find out who is best.Newman is okay here, though hardly the electrifying performer we have come to expect over the years. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is good as Carmen, Vincent's girlfriend who likes the excitement of being around him and around the pool halls. But Tom Cruise, as the young hotshot with the pool stick, quickly becomes annoying with his excessive brand of cockiness.On its own, THE COLOR OF MONEY is well enough made and not without interest, but as a sequel it misses the mark by a wide margin.

Martin Scorsese directed this sequel to "The Hustler", set 25 years later. Paul Newman returns as 'Fast' Eddie Felson, long retired from pool playing, and now a successful liquor salesman. One day in a bar, he notices Vincent Lauria(played by Tom Cruise) who has undeniable talent as a pool player but is far too overconfident, scaring away potential marks as a result. Vincent reminds Eddie of himself, so agrees to manage him, as long as he accepts his coaching without argument. Vincent also has a loyal girlfriend called Carmen(played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) who reminds Eddie of his doomed romance with Sarah... Events will collide in the big pool tournament at the end. Paul Newman won a long overdue Academy Award for his performance, which is the best thing about this misfired sequel, which is good-looking but oddly unsatisfying, especially the ending. Lacks the stark style and memorable supporting characters of the first.