The Color of Money

Touchstone. Director Martin Scorsese; Producer Irving Axelrad, Barbara De Fina; Screenplay Richard Price; Camera Michael Ballhaus; Editor Thelma Schoonmaker; Music Robbie Robertson;; Art Director Boris Leven

Paul Newman
Tom Cruise
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Helen Shaver
John Turturro
Bill Cobbs

The Color of Money is another inside look at society's outsiders from director Martin Scorsese. This time out it's the subculture of professional pool hustlers that consumes the screen with a keenly observed and immaculately crafted vision of the raw side of life. Pic has a distinctive pulse of its own with exceptional performances by Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.

Based on a reworking of Walter Tevis' novel by scripter Richard Price, The Color of Money is a continuation of the 1961 film, The Hustler, 25 years later.

Back as Fast Eddie Felson, Paul Newman is a self-proclaimed 'student of human moves' - a hustler. When he happens on Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise) in a nondescript midwest pool hall, Eddie's juices start flowing and the endless cycle starts again.

As Vincent's girlfriend Carmen, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is working on her own short fuse and is learning how to use her main talent too - her sexuality. It's a hot and disturbing performance as her actions contradict her choirgirl good looks.

1986: Best Actor (Paul Newman).

Nominations: Best Supp. Actress (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1986. Running time: 119 MIN.

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