The Hustler (1961, Robert Rossen)
This is a classic, and it's a bit weird if you haven't even heard of the movie. Full disclosure, we got around watching this only a few years back. It's a great film and has some pretty insightful criticism about American society in particular and its obsession with success and winning. Not to say that other societies don't have this problem, but the US tends to be the leading voice in this conversation. The picnic scene has some of the best dialogue. It's not exactly an uplifting film, especially for women. It is possible to see her fate as commentary on how women (those with a "questionable" past especially) are viewed as objects, are used and denied their own will in this kind of world.
We enjoyed particularly the interactions between the characters. Paul Newman and Piper Laurie both played people who had been in some way rejected by society and were unified because of that. It's always a pleasure to see two outcasts get together. George C. Scott was creepy. But he was a good counterweight to Newman's character. We don't really have much else to say. We would recommend this to anyone who enjoys intelligent drama with social commentary. Watch it.
ps. we're super proud that we didn't mention how sexy Paul Newman is. Crap!
