"Money won is twice as sweet as money earned"

2) The Color of Money (1986)

Backing up a bit here...... in, err.... 1959, an author by the name of Walter Tevis wrote a book called "The Hustler". It was a big hit, and just under two years later became the film that put Paul Newman back on the map, as the cool pool shark, "Fast" Eddie Felson.

faaaaast forward just around 30 years, and some smart Alec thought it would be a great idea to make the sequel to "The Hustler", called: "The Color of Money" into a film. Clever little shit...

But.... they asked themselves, who could possibly play the cocky, rough diamond to Newmans uber cool, shady but learned elder? Who, huh? Who Damn it!.

The question must have been one of the toughest on the table. I mean, you've got Newman, who's practically royalty by this time, but hadn't really had a hot film since Slap Shot in 1977 (and even then we're not talking about a block buster). The last thing they wanted is for someone to upstage his highness....

But on closer inspection, to a large degree, the Book is about exactly this. Younger generations looking bemused at the older generation of hustlers "code of the game".

someone must have been given a really rather large bonus when "Tom Cruise" agreed to sign on the line that is dotted:

The Cruiser had been, well.... err, "cruising" along really rather quite well. 1983, already in the can was "The Outsiders", and also in '83 were "Risky Business" & "All The Right Moves". Then came the film that pretty much sold a zillion pairs or RayBan's (I bought a pair too) "Top Gun".

OK, we'll save all the discussion about Mr C for another time. Suffice to say that he was about a B.I.G as you could be at the tender age of 12 years old (or whatever, he looks about 12 in the poster)

And so to the film:

So what we got?.

• Have we got two ego's big enough to fill the roles, and therefore fill cinema seats?. Check.
• Have we got a massively influential Director, much praised and respect for his ability to raise the bar in modern Cinematic terms, not to mention summing up the word "zeitgeist"?. Check. (Scorsese, you dummies...)
• What about a script. Check! (Richard Price, later to write Sea of Love....)

Well fuck me silly, we've got ourselves a movie!.... go go go go.

And now see, here's the thing: this film sort of didn't do quite as well as everyone expected. What!. Why?...

Looking back at the hype prior to release you can see why people might have been disappointed. Cruise, whilst really, really good in this film, just doesn't prepare the audience to not like him too much. Newman, on the other hand is smooth, smouldering and extremely fucking cool. I don't think anyone was really ready for his character to be so... complete. Newman had come from another time, to show Cruise how it's done. The ending might even have seemed unsatisfactory, leaving many story threads unresloved. Just like life does, sometimes

If you're going to read on good review of the time (good, as in well written) go here

Now, in 2007, I suggest this is one of the purest films of the 1980's. Scorsese here is a man at the top of his game. Not showing off using circus tricks in his filming, editing, cut scenes. The script is honest, sassy, and almost entirely believable. The soundtrack is really good, and there's not a hint of the saccharine taste that so many films of the time left in your mouth.

you only have to look at how both actors progressed through the late 1980's and into the 1990's. Both of whom still appearing in influential films to this day. OK, "The Color of Money" may not of been a box office hit. It may not be either star's best work (or the Directors...) but it is brave, honest, gritty and above all entertaining. if you have already, I strongly suggest you watch this movie.