Paul Newman, Tom Cruise and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in the Martin Scorsese movie ‘The Color of Money’

With a sequel to the Robert Rossen directed The Hustler (1961) on tap some 25-years later, we look to Paul Newman reprising his role as “Fast” Eddie Felson in the Martin Scorsese directed movie The Color of Money (1986). With the original movie’s review here, we return to the notions of ambition and cockiness meeting the sporting world of billiards, with Tom Cruise starring as the up-and-coming pool player Vincent Lauria.

(John Turturro as Julian in the Martin Scorsese movie The Color of Money).

With the sequel based on the 1984 Walter Tevis book The Color of Money, the movie’s screenplay includes writing credits for Richard Price. The opening reintroduces Felson as a successful liquor salesman based in Chicago, Illinois. We witness Felson partner with a hustler named Julian, as portrayed by John Turturro. It’s when the charismatic Vincent Lauria with his sharp yet inexperienced at hustling pool players girlfriend, Carmen as portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, get the better of Julian that “Fast” Eddie changes plans.

(From left, Tom Cruise as Vincent Lauria and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Carmen in the Martin Scorsese movie The Color of Money).

The plan calls for Felson to pitch Vincent, who had been working retail, to spend 6-weeks hustling their way through pool halls to a nine-ball tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey. To sweeten the deal through manipulating Vincent’s feelings for Carmen, Eddie gives Vincent a high value Balabushka pool cue for saying yes. The acceptance and subsequent disappearance by ‘Fast’ Eddie for this bothers Julian as well as Felson’s girlfriend. Helen Shaver portrayed Felson’s girlfriend, Janelle.

(From left, Helen Shaver as Janelle and Paul Newman as ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson in the Martin Scorsese movie The Color of Money).

The 6-week tour is fraught with the drama of Felson aiming to teach Lauria the art of hustling while Lauria bristles at the notion of playing below his ability to scam wealthy marks. As Felson, Lauria and Carmen are following Felson’s pool hall knowledge, vision, fronting, and experiences harkening back to the prequel movie The Hustler, the monetary gains and losses have been largely flowing going to Felson. The drama increases again when playing famed player Grady Seasons before Atlantic City raises questions of ego around this round of play as well as the play. Keith McCready portrayed Grady Seasons.

(From left, Forest Whitaker as Amos and Paul Newman as ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson in the Martin Scorsese movie The Color of Money).

Taking inspiration from the experience between Vincent and Seasons, Felson starts playing again. Humiliated after getting taken by Amos, as portrayed by Forest Whitaker, Felson leaves enough money with Vincent and Carmen for the pair to make it to Atlantic City on their own. Felson takes his own path to New Jersey. Drama for Felson comes to a head between Felson and Lauria, Felson and Julian, and, finally, Felson and Janelle. Perhaps the biggest thing to come to a head is Felson relationship for the lifestyle and game of billiards, as confirmed by the film’s conclusion.

(From left, Tom Cruise as Vincent Lauria and Paul Newman as ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson in the Martin Scorsese movie The Color of Money).

The means of a broken belief system restored, some 25-years later for ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson, was the message I felt mostly strongly in the pairing of movies that are The Hustler and The Color of Money. Having that context made for a better experience to the sequel than I would have had for the second movie as a stand alone experience. Being unwilling to separate the two, I grant The Color of Money as directed by Martin Scorsese 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Al Pacino, Steven Bauer and Michelle Pfeiffer in the film ‘Scarface’

In a recent dinner gathering with a few close friends, Airport Friend made a reference to the 1983 Brian De Palma directed written by Oliver Stone. The film features a pair of Cuban refugees with a criminal past, played by Al Pacino and Steven Bauer, with a criminal past that make their way to assembling a cocaine empire in Miami, Florida. Scarface (1983) in the movie that we portrays the exodus and excess that questions loyalty, trust and the meaning of family.

(From left, Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira and Al Pacino in the title role as Tony Montana in the movie Scarface).

Al Pacino plays Tony Montana, or the title character of Scarface. Montana earns the nickname Scarface owing to an injury that occurred before the events of the movie begin. The film Scarface itself begins Montana and fellow Cuban expatriate Manny Ribera, portrayed by Steven Bauer, being included with a group of families and prison rejects being permitted the opportunity to emigrate to the United States. A disreputable agreement occurs with Miami drug lord Frank Lopez, as played by Robert Loggia, gains Ribera, Montana, and other criminals green cards to enter the country in southern Florida.

(Steven Bauer as Cuban expatriate Manny Ribera in the movie Scarface).

Ribera and Montana become a cook and dishwasher at an eatery until an arrangement to purchase cocaine is arranged. After the deal goes really wrong in a tragic way for the expatriates, Ribera, Montana, and a couple of friends engineer a recovery that puts the Cubans into exceptionally good graces with Lopez. It is during the beginning business with Lopez that Montana takes notice of the trophy wife of Lopez, namely Elvira. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Elvira.

(From left, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Tony Montana’s younger sister, Gina, and Richard Delmonte as Fernando in the movie Scarface).

As the story of empire growing for Tony Montana and Manny Ribera grow, the introduction to Tony Montana’s mother and sister occurs. It is in this period that we meet Gina, the younger sister of Tony Montana as portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. We also learn something of the relationship between Montana and Ribera in how Ribera helps address an uncomfortable situation between Gina and Fernando. Fernando is portrayed by Richard Delmonte.

(From left, Steven Bauer, Al Pacino and Scarface director Brian De Palma on the set of the film Scarface).

Meanwhile, Lopez sends Montana and Ribera to Cochabamba, Bolivia, which serves to reveal much about loyalty, revenge for perceived disloyalty, and establishes the path towards a couple of significant events that will help resolve the full impact that the movie Scarface ultimately has. The events in Columbia, looking back at the past as well as establishing of a connection between Tony Montana and cocaine kingpin Alejandro Sosa, are decidedly relevant. Paul Shenar plays Alejandro Sosa.

(From left, Al Pacino and Scarface screenwriter Oliver Stone on the set of the film Scarface).

Much of the dynamics throughout Scarface are best experienced firsthand and through the watching of the film. Portrayals of drug use, violence, ethnic and gender stereotypes, and sexual orientation were in ways more cavalier and less inclusive than are similar norms today. These were deliberate elements of Scarface, and in important ways decisive in the way the story of Scarface occurred. Acknowledging these things, my rating for Scarface is 4.00-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, October 24, 2020