United States

Paul Newman at his most dynamic as pool shark Eddie Felson who learns about life the hard way as he shoots to the top and tries to wrest the world championship from reigning pool king Minnesota Fats. A powerful drama, filmed in New York, and belonging with the most accomplished movies ever made about American sport. Newman has never been better as the cynical anti-hero and he's able supported by Piper Laurie as his crippled alcoholic girlfriend, George C. Scott as his ruthless manager and Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. The twenty minute pool hall sequence at the beginning of the picture remains one of the high-spots of American cinema of the 60s.