Boasting two stars, Paul Newman and Tom Cruise, Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money is an enjoyable but ultimately a mediocre–and impersonal feature, one that belongs to the upbeat territory of Rocky and The Karate Kid rather than that of Mean Streets or Raging Bull.
It’s an inferior sequel (of sorts) to the much-admired The Hustler (1961), which was directed by Robert Rossen and received multiple Oscar nominations, including one for Paul Newman in one of his best roles.
Grade: B- (** out of *****)
Though well-crafted and visually assured, due to Michael Ballhaus’s bravura camera work and Scorsese’s sporadically dazzling helming touches, “Color of Money” is a glitzy but shallow tale, lacking the urgency, dramatic momentum, and the somber mood of the far superior 1061 original, The Hustler.
At 60, Newman reprised his role of Fast Eddie Felson, the tough pool shark he created in 1961. In Richard Price two-generational scenario, adapted from the novel by Walter Tevis, the aging Felson takes a young, naive protege (Tom Cruise), an immature hotshot who reminds him of his own self when he was younger and hot-tempered.
The fine ensemble of supporting actors includes Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Cruise girlfriend, Helen Shaver as the woman in Newman’s life, John Turturro and Forest Whitaker.
Scorsese has cited the influence of techniques and lighting of the 1947 Powell–Pressburger Black Narcissus on his pool movie. In particular, he states that the extreme close ups of Tom Cruise around the pool table were inspired by those of the nuns (led by Deborah Kerr) in that film.
Lead star Newman said that the only advice he was given by Scorsese was to “try not to be funny.” And sure enough, he is dead serious, a detriment to the film’s ultimate impact.
Cruise performed most of his own pool shots, with the exception of a jump shot over two balls to pot another. Scorsese believed Cruise could learn the shot, but that it would take too long, so the shot was performed for him by the famed professional player Mike Sigel.
Cruise mentioned that to prepare for the role, he bought a pool table for his apartment and practiced daily for hours on end.
Standing in for the valuable Balabushka cue in the movie was actually a Joss J-18 (which later became the Joss 10-N7), made to resemble a classic Balabushka.
After several commercial failures of good Scorsese films (Raging Bull, King of Comedy) The Color of Money finally scored at the box-office, thus becoming his most popular feature to date.
The movie finally won multiple Oscar n0minee Paul Newman a belated Best Actor Oscar, though it was for work inferior to his previously nominated roles.
The box-office success of Color of Money also gave Scorsese the clout to secure backing for a passion project he had struggled to make for years, The Last Temptation of Christ, which would come out in 1988.
Oscar Nominations:
Screenplay (Adapted): Richard Price
Actor: Paul Newman
Supporting Actress: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Art Direction-Set Decoration: Boris Leven; Karen A. O’Hara
Oscar Awards: 1
Actor
Oscar Context:
In 1986, the Best Supporting Actress Oscar went to Dianne Wiest for the Woody Allen serio comedy, Hannah and Her Sisters.
The Art Direction Oscar honored the Marchant-Ivory period comedy, “A Room With a View,” which also won the Best Adapted Screenplay for Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.
Credits:
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Screenplay by Richard Price, based on The Color of Money by Walter Tevis
Produced by Irving Axelrad, Barbara De Fina
Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus
Edited by Thelma Schoonmaker
Music by Robbie Robertson
Production companies: Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners II
Distributed by Buena Vista Distribution
Release date: October 17, 1986
Running time: 120 minutes
Budget: $14.5 million
Box office: $52.3 million
