The Color of Money is Released

The Color of Money is a 1984 novel by American writer Walter Tevis, continuing the story of Edward "Fast Eddie" Felson from The Hustler (1959). The book was very loosely adapted into a 1986 film of the same name, with Paul Newman reprising his role from the movie version of The Hustler (1961). The film also stars Tom Cruise as Vincent, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Carmen, Helen Shaver as Janelle and John Turturro as Julian. The screenplay was written by Richard Price, and the film was directed by Martin Scorsese, featuring an original score by Robbie Robertson.

Many top American pool players of the 1980s had speaking roles, including Steve Mizerak, Grady Mathews, and Keith McCready, and there were many cameos, including Jimmy Mataya, Howard Vickery, Mark Jarvis, and Louie Roberts. Mike Sigel was the technical director, and he and Ewa Mataya Laurance served as technical consultants and shot-performers on the film. Another notable cameo is that of Iggy Pop, who plays one of the many contenders on the road. A young Forest Whitaker makes an extended appearance as a player as well. The title is a reference to the traditional green cloth (or baize) of a pool table being reminiscent of American currency notes.

If this movie had been directed by someone else, I might have thought differently about it because I might not have expected so much. But "The Color of Money" is directed by Martin Scorsese, the most exciting American director now working, and it is not an exciting film. It doesn't have the electricity, the wound-up tension, of his best work, and as a result I was too aware of the story marching by.