Pretty good sequel to The Hustler

Rating: 8/10 (19 January 2016)

This sequel to The Hustler (1961) was directed by Martin Scorsese. It's not necessarily the most typical type of film you may expect from him. It was in fact one that he did for the studio and was not one of his more personal efforts. By working on a commercial project like this, Scorsese then had leeway to make his next film, the ultra-personal and controversial The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Consequently, because this wasn't material he was fully passionate about, it's not so surprising that this isn't amongst his best work. That said it is still a good film. Scorsese still manages to employ much of his typical energetic style into the flow of things, making even the game of pool pretty dynamic to watch.
The film is maybe even better known for its acting though, with Paul Newman returning to play an older version of the character Fast Eddie Felson who last appeared in The Hustler twenty-five years previously. His character now manages young hustlers like he once was and, in doing so, takes a huge slice of their winnings. It's a role-reversal for the character and Newman is once again very good, although despite the Oscar win, he was even better in The Hustler. Tom Cruise plays off him as the cocky youngster in a type of role that we've seen him perform many times in fairness. He is good enough though and the two actors do work off each other well. The dynamic between them is reasonably predictable to an extent with a plot arc where their relationship starts off shaky, gets worse then finally clicks. But, off course, success breeds complications. Events do ultimately reach an unusual and ambiguous conclusion, which I wasn't too sure about personally but at least it ended things on a less obvious note.