Movie Night: The Hustler.

Review #702: The Hustler.

Cast
Paul Newman (Eddie Felson), Jackie Gleason (Minnesota Fats), Piper Laurie (Sarah Packard), George C. Scott (Bert Gordon), Myron McCormick (Charlie), Murray Hamilton (Findley), and Michael Constantine (Big John) Directed by Robert Rossen.

Review
Winners are not always who we think they are. To some, it's the only thing, or the will to win for others. Alternatively, one might say it's not winning or losing that matters, it's how you played the game. But with this movie, being a winner and a loser is not based on how they compete, it is based on how they are as a person. If you want a movie that pulls no punches, a movie that shows both the grim realities of life and a game of pool, then this is the one for you. Newman does a wonderful job, showcasing his complexities of emotion and character depth along with some nice trick shots. His pairing with Laurie makes for an interesting splice with the pool action, and it makes the movie more whole because it gives the film more depth. Speaking of which, Gleason does a great job as well, and even though you don't see him for most of the film, his presence always seems to be felt, and it is welcome when you see him appear. Lastly, Scott is just great. Brutally effective while also playing his role as only Scott would play him: Efficient. This is a movie that may seem long, but it really makes for fine entertainment while also being a look into what makes one a winner, which this movie is.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Thinner.

Review #614: Thinner.

Cast
Robert John Burke (Billy Halleck), Joe Mantegna (Richie "The Hammer" Ginelli), Lucinda Jenney (Heidi Halleck), Michael Constantine (Tadzu Lempke), Kari Wührer (Gina Lempke), Bethany Joy Lenz (Linda Halleck), Daniel von Bargen (Chief Duncan Hopley), and John Horton (Judge Cary Rossington) Directed by Tom Holland.

Review
You want a movie that goes over the top and manages to be outrageously insane while having 0 likable characters? This is the movie for you. The movie is based off the book of the same name by Stephen King (who even has a cameo in this movie), and indeed it does feel like a silly adaptation of a novel, but at least this movie is laughable to watch. I can't decide if Burke is worse in this or in Robocop 3, but arguing over which role had more emotion when one is a robot and not being able to have an answer is troubling. For some reason Burke looks like Jiminy Glick in the overweight scenes, though at least the effects for when he gets thin are decent. The cast is okay, but their characters are unlikeable which means that anytime something happens to them, you're left not caring about what happens to them. Even the guy who curses Billy is unlikable, the whole plot of revenge is mediocre at this point. The way that Billy manages to get rid of the curse is stupid (really? Putting his blood into a pie? It's from the novel, but still.), but I guess all curses could be solved by pies. Especially pecan pies. What we've got is a mediocre movie that runs short enough to where you'll forget about it after a few hours, with effects that are probably better than the characters, and it makes you want to eat pie. So I guess it makes sense, especially that last part.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.