BrianSez's Review

Summary - Great 4.0

“They don’t make movies like this any more”, as my dad would say. This is much more a character study than it is a movie about pool. Newman is “Fast Eddie”, a rambling pool shark who is pitted against “Minesota Fats” (Jackie Gleason), and side-kicked with the straight-up gambler “Bert” played by George C Scott. The acting is top notch, due in no small part to the writing that fills the dialog with quotables all throughout. Newman is paired up with “Sarah” (Piper Laurie), who is a lonely alcoholic. This pair, when mixed in with the gambling/pool-playing life of Eddie highlights the full picture of such a “loser” lifestyle. Sarah seems to know better, but the magnetism between losers is hard to break. George C Scott adds a key dynamic to the movie and represents the seamy underbelly of the gambling world that keeps Eddie and Sarah chained to the ground. Ultimately Eddie finds a way to break free. This was an awesome movie.

Acting - Really Great 4.5

Film - Very Good 3.5

Edge - Risqué 1.6

Reality - Glib 1.8

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