Starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott
Written By: Sidney Carroll, Robert Rossen
Directed By: Robert Rossen
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
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Now this is what a collector’s edition of a classic film should be. A crisp and clean remastering of the film itself, plus a heap of features that are fully appropriate and of interest to fans of the film. It has just enough, and enough variety not to feel like a special edition just for the sake of charging more. For that, I thank Fox very much.

The film follows a pool-playing hustler named ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson (Newman) as he tries (and fails) to beat the top pool shark Minnesota Fats (Gleason). After losing miserably, he falls in love with a troubled woman (Laurie), drinks and broods, and finally gets connected with a shady manager/financier (Scott). The film is very much a character study into obsession and greed in an unstable young but talented man; Newman’s performance is fantastic and it was essentially what vaulted him to fame.

I have to be honest, I didn’t care for the film all too much. The performances were great and the cinematography was beautiful, especially in its widescreen CinemaScope presentation, but I felt that the plot was a little lagging and the film was about 30 minutes too long. Granted, I think the film is very much a product of its era; it’s full of remnants of film noir’s heyday, as well as having a very Nouvelle Vague influence in the performance style. That said, I think my problem with it is that the story is not quite engaging enough to keep me going for over two hours. But then again, I’m also not a fan of playing pool.

But the special features are great, and comparable to the type of work that Criterion collection puts in, or the Warner Bros. classics like Casablanca. These are genuinely features people will want to see, unlike the 7 different commentaries on the first Pirates of the Caribbean. More often than not, with special features, it’s quality, not quantity.

Features:
Commentary by Paul Newman, Carol Rossen, Dede Allen, Stefan Gierasch, Ulu Grosbard, Richard Schickel, and Jeff Young
Life In the Fast Lane: Fast Eddie Felson and the Search for Greatness
Milestones in Cinema History: The Making of the Hustler
Swimming with Sharks: The Art of the Hustle
The Hustler: The Inside Story
Paul Newman: Hollywood’s Cool Hand
How To Make The Shot
Opening Scene Demonstration
Six In The Corner
Eddie Makes A Cross Corner Combo Shot
Fast Eddie One Ball In Corner Pocket
Masse Shot
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Spanish Theatrical Trailer

Audio:
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Video:
Widescreen 2.35:1

Subtitles:
English, Spansih

Favorite Scenes:
Rating: G
Running Time: 135 minutes
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: