Rating of
3.5/4
This made Pool a sport!!
mdtinney - wrote on 10/04/09
This is a masterpiece plain and simple, with wonderful storytelling, a brilliant ending and an Oscar worthy performance from Paul Newman!. All the characters are wonderful!, and i for one found the middle to be extremely interesting, plus Paul Newman is simply incredible in this!.I'm not really into Pool, but i have heard critics constantly praise this film, so i wanted to check it out, and i was quite surprised by how incredibly good it was!, plus i found the middle part of the film to be quite engaging, as i said, earlier in my review. The opening is really cool, and the 1st match between Fast Eddie and "Minisota "Fatts" is exciting and heartbreaking at the same time, plus Paul Newman should have won an Oscar for this!.The film is very depressing, but it was very entertaining all the same, and Newman and Piper Lauire had fantastic chemistry together, plus Jackie Gleason and Geroge C. Scott are especially awesome in there supporting roles. Paul Newman's character is extremely arrogant and cocky, but i just couldn't help but love him, and root for him, and the scene where him and his manager Charlie(Myron McCormick) have a fight and break up in Sarah's( Piper Laurie) apartment, is really powerful, plus this movie should have won best picture as well!.
The movie itself is almost entirely flawless, and, it's extremely well written and made as well, plus there are plenty of shocking moments as well!. This hasn't dated one bit, as it still holds up incredibly well today, and the Pool games are very intense and exciting to watch, plus, i believe this is one of the best films ever!. The character development is especially awesome, and the dialog is absolutely brilliant!, plus it really leaves you thinking after you are done watching it!.There is not one boring minute in this film, and the direction is fabulous!, plus the finale was especially great!. I loved the gritty atmosphere it had, and there's no happy ending as it's very sad and depressing, but brilliant all the same!, plus all the characters are very likable. This is a masterpiece plain and simple, with wonderful storytelling, a brilliant ending, and an Oscar worthy performance from Paul Newman, and if you haven't seen it, Do so right this instant, it's one of the best films ever.
The Direction is masterful.Robert Rossen does a masterful job here, with brilliant camera work, adding some great gritty atmosphere, and keeping the film at an extremely engrossing pace.
The Acting is no doubt Oscar Worthy. Paul Newman is incredible here, he most certainly deserved the Oscar, for his incredible performance here, and while he was extremely cocky and arrogant, he just had a certain likable charm about him, and i couldn't help but root for him, he also had fantastic chemistry with Piper Laurie, and was just incredible overall, i can't say enough about his performance here(Newman Rules!!!). Jackie Gleason is wonderful as Minnesota Fats, while he didn't have much screen time, he still made a big impression on me, i loved him!, i just wish he had more screen time. Piper Laurie is fantastic as Eddie's girlfriend, i really felt sorry for her character, and it was so sad with what happened to her, as she was so likable, and had fantastic chemistry with Newman. George C. Scott is fabulous here, he played the sleaze ball extremely well, and deserved a lot of recognition, for his fabulous performance here, i loved to hate him!. Myron McCormick did what he had to do well as Charlie's manager i liked him. Rest of the cast are great.
