When I finally got around to watching Robert Rossen’s The Hustler, I got a movie that was the complete opposite of what I expected. What I thought I was going to see was a movie about a guy sharpening his pool hustling game, he meets a girl, gets in a financial bind, and has to win the big game at the end. Boy howdy, was I wrong.
The film I saw was much more complex and intense than I predicted. Paul Newman’s performance as “Fast Eddie” Felson, a man on the painful road to self-awareness as he discovers the true meaning of what it means to be a winner and a loser, was so layered and mature it that it caught me off guard. The supporting cast is equally formidable. Piper Laurie’s performance as Sarah, Eddie’s love interest, serves as a reminder that Hollywood doesn’t know how to write female characters anymore. Her tragic attempt to overcome her own self-destructive behavior, all while attempting to save Eddie from himself, is the heart and soul of the film. George C. Scott brings in his undeniably authoritative presence as Bert, a sly professional gambler who takes Eddie under his wing, only to numb him the importance of anything in life but properly winning the game. But it is Jackie Gleason who leaves the strongest impression as Minnesota Fats, the best of the best that Eddie obsesses over beating. Gleason, who was a formidable pool player in real life, brings an astonishing level of authenticity to the role, as he gracefully circles the table, calls the shots, and observes (and subtly applauds) from the sideline. Though he has a small amount of screen time, his presence is as impossible to shake as Eddie’s obsession with beating him.
The Hustler is getting the royal treatment that it deserves this week. It contains the commentary from the DVD release, which features Paul Newman, Carol Rossen (director Robert Rossen’s daughter), Time film critic Richard Schickel, film historian Jeff Young, and various crew members. Also from the DVD release is the trick shot analysis, and “The Hustler: The Inside Story” featurette. However, there are a ton of new features, including a documentaries on Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Walter Tevis (author of the novel the film was based on), and a 24 page book in lieu of a cherry on top. But the best thing will be seeing the immersive world this movie provides in high definition. I can’t wait to watch it again.
Available on Blu-ray. Previously available on DVD.
When talking about masters of suspense, a name that doesn’t often get mentioned is Henri-Georges Clouzot, which is a shame, because films like Diabolique are just as good as Alfred Hitchcock’s best work. Clouzot made Diabolique hot off of The Wages of Fear, an epic suspense thriller that ranks high among cinema’s greatest white-knuckle rides. The rumor is he beat Hitchcock to the rights of the source novel, She Who Was No More by Pierre Boileau, by making the phone call to the author a few hours before Hitch did. A story told on a much smaller scale than his previous film, Diabolique is about an evil headmaster of a boys’ boarding school, who routinely abuses his wife and mistress. Together, they carry out a plot to murder him, but as is often the case with movies like this, nothing exactly goes according to plan.
To say any more would spoil the plot, and this is a movie where spoilers are a big no-no, the film even asks that the audience keep the plot to themselves from those who have yet to see the movie. So I’m just going to leave it at this: for suspense fans, Diabolique is a must, and the re-release Criterion is putting out this week is well worth the price tag.
Other Noteworthy Releases
I Want Your Money: A documentary contrasting the differences between the economic policies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Directed by Ray Griggs, it features interviews with the likes of Steve Forbes, Kenneth Blackwell, and Andrew Breitbart. I Want Your Money prompted annoyed responses from the likes of The Huffington Post and Media Matters, which are the best reviews it could possibly get.
The Mechanic: A remake of the Charlie Bronson flick done Jason Statham-style. Statham is the closest thing we have to a modern eighties action hero. Like Van Damme, Seagal, and Stallone, his movies have a specific flavor that makes these flicks good ol’ fashioned comfort food for action fans.
The Rite: I missed this exorcism movie in the theater, but it got good marks from Catholic critics. Director Mikael Håfström did a great job with the Stephen King adaptation 1408, so I look forward to checking it out.
Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Blu-ray/DVD Combo
The Comancheros: Check out John Nolte’s review of this John Wayne classic, if you haven’t already.
Available on Blu-ray. Previously available on DVD
Pale Flower: A yakuza-infused romance from Japanese director Masahiro Shinoda, who went on to make Double Suicide and Samurai Spy. Available from the folks over at Criterion.
Deep Red: Dario Argento’s seminal giallo film gets another re-release. A lot of people call this one a classic, personally I find it to be too long and poorly paced, but it does have a brilliant score and some classic scares.
The Five Deadly Venoms: Chang Cheh’s Shaw Bros. classic that brought the Venom Mob kung-fu troupe to cinema comes to Blu-ray.
Available on Blu-ray. Previously available on DVD
The Other Woman: A Natalie Portman movie approximately 8 people saw, one of whom, I suspect, was Portman superfan Ben Shapiro.
The Roommate: A knock-off of Barbet Schroeder’s Single White Female.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axl Foley comes straight at your face on Blu-ray. The original is great, the sequels, not so much.
Available on Blu-ray. Previously available on DVD
The Twilight Zone – Season 4: I’m no TV guru, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that The Twilight Zone was one of the best written shows in the history of the medium.
Available on Blu-ray. Previously available on DVD
A version of this article originally appeared over at Parcbench.com