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Anyway, these are two that I haven't seen, although I've had The Hustler in my radar for a long time. This is where I'm at so far...
SEEN: 4/8
MY BALLOT: 0/25
SEEN: 4/8
MY BALLOT: 0/25
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Yahoo! Finally one from my ballot!
I had The Hustler as my #3 choice. Love that movie, especially the relationship dynamic between Paul Newman and Piper Laurie...I rated it 5/5.
My MoFo review:
The Hustler (1961)
Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) is a two-bit pool hustler who's a real wiz at the game but his self destructive narcissistic streak keeps him from being the champ. He takes on the legendary "Minnesota Fats" in an all night, high stakes pool game. A game which takes more than shooting skills to win. Fast Eddie also meets Sarah (Piper Laura) setting alone in a train station. Laure is a girl with low self esteem and a lame leg, she uses sex as an escape. The two strike up a relationship based on booze and self destructive behaviors.
The Hustler is like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonist rise to glory only to be destroyed by their own character flaws.
It's a study of two very dysfunctional people, with pool as the driving force that causes their flaws to come into play.
Fast Eddie is not likeable, he's not suppose to be. He has an inflated sense of his own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.
Sarah is a manic depressive, she's more sad than likable. Drowning her self pity in alcohol and in sex with strangers. She's the enabler that keeps Fast Eddie going. She makes the mistake of tying herself to Eddie, as if he was an anchor that would keep her stable. But Eddie has no empathy for her, his only need is to be important at any cost. The Hustler shows us a very real and very dysfunctional relationship.
Jackie Gleason is Minnesota Fats, and owns the role. Gleason was known for doing outlandish physical comedy on The Honeymooners. Here he keeps his body movements to a minimum and with just a slight nod of his head or a raised eyebrow he can convey more than most actors can do with their whole bodies.
Gerorge C. Scott is the cold, conniving financier of the illicit pool games. He's one of those truly slimy bad guys you love to hate. He's good at being bad and being believable while doing it.
In the pool scenes many of the camera angles were done low, looking up at the players. A few shots were done from a high angle, like is done in televised pool tournaments. Both added a tension to the pool scenes. Maybe most impressive is that all those pool halls are real. They actually shot in the pool halls in New York. This gave this hard hitting story a grimy reality that matches the dark reality of the characters plights.
I had The Hustler as my #3 choice. Love that movie, especially the relationship dynamic between Paul Newman and Piper Laurie...I rated it 5/5.My MoFo review:
Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) is a two-bit pool hustler who's a real wiz at the game but his self destructive narcissistic streak keeps him from being the champ. He takes on the legendary "Minnesota Fats" in an all night, high stakes pool game. A game which takes more than shooting skills to win. Fast Eddie also meets Sarah (Piper Laura) setting alone in a train station. Laure is a girl with low self esteem and a lame leg, she uses sex as an escape. The two strike up a relationship based on booze and self destructive behaviors.
The Hustler is like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonist rise to glory only to be destroyed by their own character flaws.
It's a study of two very dysfunctional people, with pool as the driving force that causes their flaws to come into play.
Fast Eddie is not likeable, he's not suppose to be. He has an inflated sense of his own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.
Sarah is a manic depressive, she's more sad than likable. Drowning her self pity in alcohol and in sex with strangers. She's the enabler that keeps Fast Eddie going. She makes the mistake of tying herself to Eddie, as if he was an anchor that would keep her stable. But Eddie has no empathy for her, his only need is to be important at any cost. The Hustler shows us a very real and very dysfunctional relationship.
Jackie Gleason is Minnesota Fats, and owns the role. Gleason was known for doing outlandish physical comedy on The Honeymooners. Here he keeps his body movements to a minimum and with just a slight nod of his head or a raised eyebrow he can convey more than most actors can do with their whole bodies.
Gerorge C. Scott is the cold, conniving financier of the illicit pool games. He's one of those truly slimy bad guys you love to hate. He's good at being bad and being believable while doing it.
In the pool scenes many of the camera angles were done low, looking up at the players. A few shots were done from a high angle, like is done in televised pool tournaments. Both added a tension to the pool scenes. Maybe most impressive is that all those pool halls are real. They actually shot in the pool halls in New York. This gave this hard hitting story a grimy reality that matches the dark reality of the characters plights.
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For those interested, I just edited the second post of the thread with the full list so far. Thanks to @Miss Vicky for slapping me on the back of the head to remind me!
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I had Purple Noon at #4 (and The American Friend was my #5). I didn't have The Talented Mr Ripley, though, which is the same story as Purple Noon but with Matt Damon instead of Alain Delon (a poor substitute).
Not only is Tom Ripley a fascinating character, Purple Noon and The American Friend are both really well shot, interesting films.
Not only is Tom Ripley a fascinating character, Purple Noon and The American Friend are both really well shot, interesting films.
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Holden's a witch!
Or I guess he's a warlock!
I've never actually seen Purple Noon. One of those movies that has been on my watchlist forever but never gotten to it yet. The Hustler is a good film but I don't love it.
Or I guess he's a warlock!
I've never actually seen Purple Noon. One of those movies that has been on my watchlist forever but never gotten to it yet. The Hustler is a good film but I don't love it.
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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
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I hope all seven of you Ripley voters are stoked for the upcoming Netflix series starring "The Hot Priest" himself, Andrew Scott. Love that Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer, "The Night Of...") was able to shoot in black & white, lensed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Nightcrawler, Good Night and Good Luck). I mean, we don't really need another adaptation of this story, but there are certainly top-flight people involved in front of and behind the camera. We'll see if the longer format of a series allows further shading or simply feels like it is dragging things out?
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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
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Seen both!
The Hustler is the one I prefer of the two, but I didn't vote for either of them.
The Hustler is the one I prefer of the two, but I didn't vote for either of them.
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I'm certainly having better luck with these one pointers than I did with the Noir ones. I had only watched two of those.
Affliction
The Chaser
Johnny Handsome
The Little Things
The Ninth Gate
Pulp
Reindeer Games
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
Affliction
The Chaser
Johnny Handsome
The Little Things
The Ninth Gate
Pulp
Reindeer Games
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
Doing better with these too. Only had one (Mystery Street) so far in the Noir countdown.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
In the Heat of the Night (my #4 pick)
The Manchurian Candidate
The Hustler
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
In the Heat of the Night (my #4 pick)
The Manchurian Candidate
The Hustler
Last edited by WHITBISSELL!; 03-08-24 at 03:17 PM.
What two days in this countdown...
#94. Plein soleil [Purple Noon] (1960) is my #14 for 12 pts from me.
Beautiful early-colour cinematography featuring Alain Delon and Maurice Ronet, in the great story directed by René Clément. What more needs one who loves the art of cinema...
Interesting enough, Although I've been non-stop into most of the Delon's stuff since my childhood, it was the film of 1999 which presented the character of Tom Ripley to me. After that, it was the version with Malkovich and finally, I've reached to this one in the late 2000's.
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92/100
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My Ballot
▽
...
8. Shallow Grave (1994) [#95]
...
14. Purple Noon (1960) [#94]
...
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My Near Misses:
▽
The Ninth Gate (1999) [one-pointers]
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) [#96]
#94. Plein soleil [Purple Noon] (1960) is my #14 for 12 pts from me.
Beautiful early-colour cinematography featuring Alain Delon and Maurice Ronet, in the great story directed by René Clément. What more needs one who loves the art of cinema...
Interesting enough, Although I've been non-stop into most of the Delon's stuff since my childhood, it was the film of 1999 which presented the character of Tom Ripley to me. After that, it was the version with Malkovich and finally, I've reached to this one in the late 2000's.
+
92/100
-----
My Ballot
▽
...
8. Shallow Grave (1994) [#95]
...
14. Purple Noon (1960) [#94]
...
My Near Misses:
▽
The Ninth Gate (1999) [one-pointers]
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) [#96]
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"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." M.T.
Last edited by mrblond; 03-08-24 at 08:42 PM.
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Purple Noon I had at #22. The first time Patricia Highsmith saw Alain Delon she thought he was the perfect Tom Ripley, and he pretty much was. But Matt Damon's performance was exceptional too, while Dennis Hopper's was quite bizarre, but I don't mind it as a different kind of take. I'm pleased to see all three of these show up, even at their low spots.
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I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.
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5/8 seen for me.
Still no votes!
Still no votes!
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i love the hustler but it didn’t cross my mind as neo-noir while i was making my list. it would’ve been #8 if it had. purple noon also slipped my mind but had i thought of it, it likely would’ve missed out by a few spots. still very good.
i watched both shallow grave and the talented mr. ripley this december just a week apart. both good movies, although i preferred the former.
i watched both shallow grave and the talented mr. ripley this december just a week apart. both good movies, although i preferred the former.
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Most Biblical movies were long If I Recall.
seen A Clockwork Orange. In all honesty, the movie was weird and silly
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Both Purple Noon and The Hustler are really good, but they didn't make my ballot.
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Yahoo! Finally one from my ballot! I had The Hustler as my #3 choice. Love that movie, especially the relationship dynamic between Paul Newman and Piper Laurie...I rated it 5/5.
My MoFo review:
The Hustler (1961)
Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) is a two-bit pool hustler who's a real wiz at the game but his self destructive narcissistic streak keeps him from being the champ. He takes on the legendary "Minnesota Fats" in an all night, high stakes pool game. A game which takes more than shooting skills to win. Fast Eddie also meets Sarah (Piper Laura) setting alone in a train station. Laure is a girl with low self esteem and a lame leg, she uses sex as an escape. The two strike up a relationship based on booze and self destructive behaviors.
The Hustler is like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonist rise to glory only to be destroyed by their own character flaws. It's a study of two very dysfunctional people, with pool as the driving force that causes their flaws to come into play.
Fast Eddie is not likeable, he's not suppose to be. He has an inflated sense of his own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.
Sarah is a manic depressive, she's more sad than likable. Drowning her self pity in alcohol and in sex with strangers. She's the enabler that keeps Fast Eddie going. She makes the mistake of tying herself to Eddie, as if he was an anchor that would keep her stable. But Eddie has no empathy for her, his only need is to be important at any cost. The Hustler shows us a very real and very dysfunctional relationship.
Jackie Gleason is Minnesota Fats, and owns the role. Gleason was known for doing outlandish physical comedy on The Honeymooners. Here he keeps his body movements to a minimum and with just a slight nod of his head or a raised eyebrow he can convey more than most actors can do with their whole bodies.
Gerorge C. Scott is the cold, conniving financier of the illicit pool games. He's one of those truly slimy bad guys you love to hate. He's good at being bad and being believable while doing it.
In the pool scenes many of the camera angles were done low, looking up at the players. A few shots were done from a high angle, like is done in televised pool tournaments. Both added a tension to the pool scenes. Maybe most impressive is that all those pool halls are real. They actually shot in the pool halls in New York. This gave this hard hitting story a grimy reality that matches the dark reality of the characters plights.
I had The Hustler as my #3 choice. Love that movie, especially the relationship dynamic between Paul Newman and Piper Laurie...I rated it 5/5.My MoFo review:
Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) is a two-bit pool hustler who's a real wiz at the game but his self destructive narcissistic streak keeps him from being the champ. He takes on the legendary "Minnesota Fats" in an all night, high stakes pool game. A game which takes more than shooting skills to win. Fast Eddie also meets Sarah (Piper Laura) setting alone in a train station. Laure is a girl with low self esteem and a lame leg, she uses sex as an escape. The two strike up a relationship based on booze and self destructive behaviors.
The Hustler is like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonist rise to glory only to be destroyed by their own character flaws. It's a study of two very dysfunctional people, with pool as the driving force that causes their flaws to come into play.
Fast Eddie is not likeable, he's not suppose to be. He has an inflated sense of his own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.
Sarah is a manic depressive, she's more sad than likable. Drowning her self pity in alcohol and in sex with strangers. She's the enabler that keeps Fast Eddie going. She makes the mistake of tying herself to Eddie, as if he was an anchor that would keep her stable. But Eddie has no empathy for her, his only need is to be important at any cost. The Hustler shows us a very real and very dysfunctional relationship.
Jackie Gleason is Minnesota Fats, and owns the role. Gleason was known for doing outlandish physical comedy on The Honeymooners. Here he keeps his body movements to a minimum and with just a slight nod of his head or a raised eyebrow he can convey more than most actors can do with their whole bodies.
Gerorge C. Scott is the cold, conniving financier of the illicit pool games. He's one of those truly slimy bad guys you love to hate. He's good at being bad and being believable while doing it.
In the pool scenes many of the camera angles were done low, looking up at the players. A few shots were done from a high angle, like is done in televised pool tournaments. Both added a tension to the pool scenes. Maybe most impressive is that all those pool halls are real. They actually shot in the pool halls in New York. This gave this hard hitting story a grimy reality that matches the dark reality of the characters plights.
The Hustler (1961)
The Hustler was a life changing film for me. As an impressionable 17-year-old who fancied himself a budding pool hustler, I first saw the film upon its release in 1961. The effect that the experience had on me was monumental, and it's still possible to recall a shadow feel of it's emotional impact.
It's subject matter was unusual for its day, and was a seminal film in many ways. There had been movies about golfers, baseball players, tennis players, etc.; but never a film about a seedy pool hustler. The public was not even aware that this type of activity existed. It was based on the 1959 book of the same name by Walter Tevis, himself a pool devotee. The excellent screenplay by Sidney Carroll was fairly faithful to the novel, with a major exception regarding the denouement of Fast Eddie's girlfriend, Sarah. There was fine direction by Robert Rosen who was also a frequent customer of the New York pool rooms, and was aware of Gleason's above average abilities with the pool cue. Rosen was able to guide the production into a sense of authenticity.
The acting couldn't have been any better. It's as if everyone was born to play their respective parts. George C. Scott carried on his cut-throat, abrasive, dominant character acting that was introduced two years earlier in Anatomy of a Murder. Piper Laurie was perfect as the crippled alcoholic intellectual who was trying to find herself. Jackie Gleason fit his role perfectly with class and style. Paul Newman stated that he had over-acted his part, and in hindsight would have liked to tone it down a little. But that type of performance is always appreciated and remembered by the public.
Newman established himself as an expert at playing handsome, devilish rogues, which he was to hone in many more pictures, most notably Hud, Harper, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting.
The film score by Kenyon Hopkins written in the jazz idiom was tasteful, but exciting. Few scores --another similarity to Anatomy of a Murder-- had used jazz exclusively up to that time, and here it was a perfect match. I can still hear the strummed major 9th chord underlying the ending of the film.
The movie seemed so real and so familiar. I fell in love with Sarah, and to this day am a fan of Piper Laurie's. I spent several years looking for a girl like Sarah, but to be honest, when I finally found one, it didn't play out too well. I even traveled to Ames' Pool Room in NYC on 46th St. west of Broadway. I got into a game of rotation with the off duty cook for $2 a pop, and he almost busted me. Had enough jack left for one more trip to Geenwich Village, then onto a Trailways outta town.
A word about the subject matter. Its pool/hustling portions were very authentic because several involved in the production had real life experience with gambling and pool. However the character "Minnesota Fats", along with all the other characters, was pure fiction, as attested by Walter Tevis. Shortly after the movie came out, Rudolph Wanderone, aka New York Fats, was given a suggestion by Paulie Jansco (of the Johnston City World's Pocket Billiards tournaments) to go down to the local theater, set up a card table, and represent yourself as the "real" Minnesota Fats. Wanderone was a tremendous self promoter, excellent pool player, story teller, and B.S. artist. He parlayed the hoax into a fortune.
The Hustler was one of a small group of films from the late '50s and early '60s that ushered in a new type of realism-- both in action and in personal relationships. The love interest was complicated but alluring. Eddie didn't realize what he had in him, both emotionally and in his pool playing fortitude. In the end he found out just what those facets were, and became a better man because of it. The book develops those characteristics very well, but Carroll's screenplay pushed the story further, and arguably made a better tale because of it.
Doc's rating: 9/10
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I hope all seven of you Ripley voters are stoked for the upcoming Netflix series starring "The Hot Priest" himself, Andrew Scott. Love that Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer, "The Night Of...") was able to shoot in black & white, lensed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Nightcrawler, Good Night and Good Luck). I mean, we don't really need another adaptation of this story, but there are certainly top-flight people involved in front of and behind the camera. We'll see if the longer format of a series allows further shading or simply feels like it is dragging things out?
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94. Purple Noon - Never seen this, but it had immediately made it into my watchlist when Holden mentioned it earlier. I mean, I love Alain Delon and Tom Ripley adaptations so I didn't have to think twice.
93. The Hustler - Great movie. I saw it for the first time not too long ago. At the time I called it a "Very heavy film - raw and honest, like a Tennessee Williams play." Paul Newman's performance is breathtaking, and he's matched by Piper Laurie - it's a very performance-driven film that digs deep into it's protagonist's psyche. Through great pain, main character Eddie Felson grows a little, but at a price - as always. Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott are great to watch as well, especially the latter in an early film for him. I can't fathom some of the pool shots I see in the movie - the players put spin on the ball which can make it travel in the opposite direction to which it's hit. Crazy stuff. The Hustler wasn't on my ballot, but it's more than worthy of making an appearance here.
Seen : 5/8
Heard of : 7/8 (technically)
93. The Hustler - Great movie. I saw it for the first time not too long ago. At the time I called it a "Very heavy film - raw and honest, like a Tennessee Williams play." Paul Newman's performance is breathtaking, and he's matched by Piper Laurie - it's a very performance-driven film that digs deep into it's protagonist's psyche. Through great pain, main character Eddie Felson grows a little, but at a price - as always. Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott are great to watch as well, especially the latter in an early film for him. I can't fathom some of the pool shots I see in the movie - the players put spin on the ball which can make it travel in the opposite direction to which it's hit. Crazy stuff. The Hustler wasn't on my ballot, but it's more than worthy of making an appearance here.
Seen : 5/8
Heard of : 7/8 (technically)
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Last edited by PHOENIX74; 03-08-24 at 10:42 PM.
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no votes. purple noon emphatically superior to talented mr. ripley. have been meaning to revisit the hustler.
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Seen both, voted for neither. The Ripley films I've seen, I always keep meaning to revisit because I remember liking them, but they keep falling to the back of the queue.
The Hustler has been a while. Also one I remember liking a lot. Not sure it would have crossed my mind as being noir, but some of that is due to how long ago it was.
The Hustler has been a while. Also one I remember liking a lot. Not sure it would have crossed my mind as being noir, but some of that is due to how long ago it was.
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