“Scorsese’s direction at its most downmarket and upbeat - never have pool tables, balls and cues looked so rich and strange.”
And then, some 30 years later, there's this. Paul Newman reprises his role of a (forcibly) retired "Fast Eddie" Felson. who takes Tom Cruise's cocky young Turk, Vincent, under his wing and on the road. Scorsese's criminally underrated sequel to The Hustler is a brilliant depiction of greed, ambition, failure and how "money won is twice as sweet as money earned". Paul Newman finally won an Oscar for his portrayal of an older, wiser, sadder hustler, Tom Cruise has never been better, and brilliant support comes from the likes of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio,John Turturro, Forest Whitaker and Iggy Pop.
As chosen by the winning team of The Tufnell Park Film Club Autumn Film Quiz.
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