Certainly one of the best movie I've ever seen

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2001)

This movie I've watched some 40+ times. The characters are extremely well depicted and the pool hall is as realistic as they come. Paul Newman is Fast Eddie, he is simply not acting the role, he's got the looks and the manners of a pool shark, he is Eddy Felson. But then, I could say the same about Jack Gleason, George C. Scott, Pipper Laurie and even the more minor roles. Besides all the excellent acting, this story could be mapped to many situation we encounter in our every day life without really fully realising it. It's about character and growing-up in a shark society. This film is of the caliber of the great Italian neo-realism vein of the fifties with De Sica and the likes. It just happens in a different continent with different stakes. A masterpiece!