Robert Rossen’s The Hustler

Based on Walter Tevis’ novel, Robert Rossen’s The Hustler follows Paul Newman’s Eddie Felson as he sets out to defeat a legendary pool player known as Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). Filmmaker Robert Rossen, armed with a screenplay written with Sidney Carroll, delivers an often excessively deliberate endeavor that benefits substantially from its eye-catching visuals and raft of electrifying performances, with, in terms of the latter, Newman’s almost absurdly charismatic efforts matched by a stellar supporting cast that includes, among others, Piper Laurie and George C. Scott. (Scott’s turn as Eddie’s slick, smarmy manager remains an obvious highlight within the proceedings, to be sure.) It’s clear, however, that Robert Rossen’s The Hustler, despite its assortment of top-tier elements, never quite becomes as engrossing or enthralling as Rossen has undoubtedly intended, as the picture’s palpably overlong running time paves the way for an arms-length narrative that’s overflowing with scenes of a padded-out or downright needless nature – which, in turn, ensures that Rossen’s continuing attempts at generating dramatic tension fall distressingly flat, for the most part. And although the climactic pool game is admittedly quite compelling, Robert Rossen’s The Hustler has, by that point, long-since cemented its place as a meticulously-crafted yet predominantly underwhelming adaptation that fares best as a showcase for stellar performances and first-class cinematography.

**1/2 out of ****