Shoot pool, Fast Eddie!

Rating: 8/10 (5 June 2004)

Line up Martin Scorcese to direct a sequel to the classic film 'The Hustler' and you might assume you'd be onto a winner. But although entertaining, 'The Color of Money' is merely a good, not a great film. The world of film-making has changed since 1961 and compared to the original the newer film is, as you would expect, a lot slicker (the pool-playing scenes in particular are technically superb) and away from the table, the general dialogue is vastly improved. But the contemporary pop music that plays in the background throughout the first half is truly dreadful (though hardly Scorcese's fault), while no-one has one liners as good as 'The Hustler's Jackie Gleason had. More surprisingly, there's less tension (and a whole lot less atmosphere) in the pool matches themselves: Scorcese clearly did not want to make a "sports" movie, but in consequence, the footage of the actual games is entirely for show while the plot goes on elsewhere.
The world outside Hollywood has changed as well, and to be fair, 'The Color of Money' addresses this as one of its themes. But in some ways, the newer world is less interesting than the old one. Fast Eddie, Paul Newman's character in both films, was, as a young man, desperate to win: victory offered his only chance to be someone, to prove his worth to himself in the face of severe self-doubt. The alternative, given his innate character flaws, was literally destitution. While his main opponent, Minnesota Fats (Gleason), did not just shoot pool, he was pool, defining and defined by the world in which he lived. But in the sequel, pool, to Fast Eddie, has become just another way of making money, while his annoying protege Vincent (a very young, and surprisingly chubby-faced Tom Cruise) has no fear of life and complete self-belief. However well it's done, it's hard to care too much about either of them. It's no coincidence that film picks up when Fast Eddie re-finds his love for the game. For the first time, there's something really at stake (though at the same time, there's a little self-indulgence in the later stages of the plot).
'The Color of Money' is a fun movie to watch, especially if you've seen 'The Hustler' and are already on Fast Eddie's side. But it's predecessor will be remembered when it has been forgotten.