THE RFTRIEVFR OCTOBER 28, 1986 PAGE 3 ENTERTAINMENT The Color of Money makes a convincing sequel by Paul Grden Hud, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, money-maker, Top Gun, then it seems classic The Hustler. Both films share the end do we see if Felson can hustler as Felson is, and yet Mastran- Harper, and The Sting, which have but a stroke of providence that New- the same central character, "Fast" overcome this defeat. tonio is able to make Carmen just as Paul Newman is well-acquainted propelled him to superstar status. In man and Cruise were cast, respective- Eddie Felson, and Paul Newman's This film is largely Paul Newman's sympathetic, too. with the turmoils of movie stardom. the course of an acting career that ly, as the seasoned veteran and his portrayal of Felson, but The Color of film, with the character of Vincent The main weakness with the film, From the dismal failure of his debut spans 47 films, Newman maintains an brash protege in Martin Scorsese's Money begins 25 years after The used mainly as a counterpoint of though, is in Richard Price's script. movie, I953's The Silver Chalice, to outlook of wariness in his dealings The Color of Money, a film that deals Hustler ends. And some interpolation youth to contrast Felson's eminence The basic plot outline provides ample his most recent film, Harry and Son, with the movie industry. with the ups and downs of a different is provided by the script in order to of old age. As Felson, Newman is in opportunity for good drama, but the Newman knows what it is like to hit Considering that Tom Cruise is still type of money-making industry, pool bring the audience up to date. complete control: he easily masters script doesn't dig deep enough into the rock-bottom in Hollywood. basking in the limelight of the most hustling. Eddie Felson is now a successful the role, going beyond portraying psyches of the main characters, so that But he also has enjoyed the felicities recent and most successful movie of The Color of Money is a loosely liqour store owner, and although he Felson to become Felson. He brings when there is a turning point in a of success, starring in such classics as his career, this year's number-one based sequel to Robert Rossen's 1961 has given up hustling pool himself, he to life the role he originated 25 years character's life, we witness the change, acts as manager for many of the young ago, which is a tall order considering but we do not feel it. , hopefuls that he observes at the local the formidable passage of time that Also, the movie relies too heavily pool halls, gaining some semblance of has occurred between the two films. upon the audience's familiarity with vicarious satisfaction in lending his Newman shows what experience "The Hustler." Without seeing the support to the art he once practiced. can contribute to a performance, for first film, an audience can not get a It is in these pool halls that he spots he is able to bring out the luances and full grasp upon the emotional scars Vincent Lauria, a young Midwestern subtleties of the character's past and which helped to shape Felson's life, "flake" who has the talent it takes to present. His already chiseled face has which, in turn, obscures the signifi- win at the game of pool, but who become petrified by time, and from cance of many of the events in the doesn't yet have the finesse needed to his face we see the pain and glory of present film. Nonetheless, the script champion the skill of hustling. This is his hustling days. We can fully under- does provide the film with many scenes. where Felson comes in. stand why he still yearns to hustle, in Martin Scorsese's direction is cer- Through some trickery of his own, spite of his prosperous liquor store tainly intense, but at times he attempts Felson persuades Vincent, along with business. Newman delivers another to hide the holes of the script through his girlfriend, Carmen, to take to the great performance in a career full of the use of frenetic camera trickery, road and head to Atlantic City's Nine- great performances. which detracts from the drama. His ball Tournament, while learning the As Vincent, Tom Cruise tries his hypertensive direction keeps the film art of hustling. best to act up a storm, and it shows rolling at a mercurial pace, but he Felson shows the naive Vincent the Cruise is not an accomplished actor, doesn't slow down enough for the depths of deception and duplicity that but at age 24 he should have ample appropriate dramatic development. are involved in hustling, which serves time to prove himself. The Color of Money is a metaphor to rob Vincent of his small-town inno- The role of Vincent is a nice, snowy for the many ways in which money is cence, making him a cocky monster to opportunity for any young actor to used in the world of hustling. As Felson's Frankenstein. Seeing that demonstrate his acting range, and Felson says in the film, "Money won is Vincent has fully capitalized on his Cruise gives it his best shot. With his twice as sweet as money earned," teachings, Felson leaves Vincent out oversized pompado jr and his gawky which explains his need to win money on his own and decides to re-enter into mannerisms, Cruise prances around hustling. Money becomes a means of the field of hustling. Felson regains his in the film like a hypersexual rooster. gauging one's success through hust- old confidence, and with renewed As Vincent's girlfriend, Carmen, ling: the more money won, the better vigor he enters the Nineball Tourna- Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio creates the hustler one is. This film tries to File Photo ment himself, only to be duped by the proper blend of cynicism and show the many shades of the color of Tom Cruise (left) and Paul Newman decide to become partners in the pool hustling game in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money. Vincent in the process. The pain of the sensuality to demonstrate Carmen's money, and through the strength of Also shown is co-star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. student outhustling the master leaves street savvy, as well as her attraction Paul Newman's performance, it Felson feeling defeated, and only in to Vincent. Carmen is just as much a succeeds. j Scout could rid comic books of childish stereotypes by William Ward Mountain Apache, raised by and Scout proves that comic books can seem all the more real. At times you Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, it is just dangerous. It is all very interesting, taught the ways of the Apache. be used as a medium for great story can almost feel the weight of the gun what the people want to hear, so they and sure not to bore the reader. Imagine a world in which the Uprooted in his teens, he is placed in telling, and provides a good example in a character's hands; or smell the follow him. Unlike many of the comic book United States has lost its status as a "Camp Falwell," one of the of the flexibility of independent com- grass being whipped up by a heli- A similar situation is occurring now characters of today, Scout is vulner- world power: the result of trade pacts, paramilitary-youth-training camps ics (comics not owned by Marvel or copters blades. It's just terrific art. in the middle western states, as fanatic able — a human. He is not invincible, engineered by Russia to exclude Ame- sponsored by the U.S. Army. It is in DC, and thus not censored by the Occassionally though, there are paramilitary groups like "The Order" he has no super powers, which makes rica from world trade. Food is scarce, this camp that Scout begins to have Comics Code Authority). some errors in the art, such as the size and the CSA (Church, Sword, and it easier for us to relate to him. And unemployment is high, the religious troubling dreams, dreams that tell Yes, there is violence in Scout, and of a gun (most of the weapons in the Arm of the Lord) continue to gain getting someone to relate to comic right has seized the government and him that four monsters of Apache the language is somewhat...mature, book are real), or some other tech- support from destitute farmers. The book characters is no easy task. the President of the United States is legend have returned to Earth, sum- but it is handled with taste and matur- nical inaccuracy, but one hardly world Truman creates, although fan- All of this is enough to bore the an ex-professional wrestler. moned by the President of the United ity. When someone is shot, they bleed, notices or cares because of the general tastic, is made believable by touches younger "Spiderman" reader or In this America, the President's States, a man named Grail. and the blood is shown, but the book quality of the artwork. like this. "Archie" fan to death, which says right hand man is a former "tele- His dreams also tell him that he has does riot go put of it's way to set up The writing isn't shoddy either. Truman is able to keep an air of something about whom this book is vangelist;" the Administration controls been chosen to receive'"Diya Saniya," scenes for such violent confronta- Also by Truman, the stories seem mystery around his main character written for.