Too Much Of A Downer

Rating: 5/10 (5 November 2005)

This was a famous movie in its day and one I have remembered well since I first saw it. Then I viewed it on TV once or twice in the '70s and it was still enjoyable. For that, it gets points. However, looking at the film in 1999 after many years without seeing it, it didn't hold the fascination anymore. In fact, it was downright unpleasant to watch, too sleazy an atmosphere for me.
The main characters, except for Jackie Gleason as "Minnesota Fats," are all unlikable people. Gleason was fascinating but Paul Newman ("Fast Eddie"), the supposed "hero" of the film, was an arrogant punk; Piper Laurie was a drunk with an irritatingly horrible voice, and George C. Scott was a crude low-life.
As for the billiards angle of the story, that was very good. However, the sordidness of the romance, which was not a pretty thing to see, ruined the film for me. This is simply too much of a downer. Who wants to get depressed?