Martin Scorsese: Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best

18. The Colour Of Money

One of the defining moments of Paul Newman's career came in the early 1960s with his portrayal of Fast Eddie Felson in the film The Hustler. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as a classic, the idea of revisiting the character 20 years later seemed almost like sacrilege to fans of the original. In the more than capable hands of Martin Scorsese, however, people had nothing to worry about. Newman reprises his role and is joined by Tom Cruise as co-star, who plays the arrogant hustler whom Eddie takes under his wings. Scorsese manages to make the pool games as exciting as any violent action scene he's filmed in his gangster movies, and each frame positively zings with cool camerawork and sharp as a pin cinematography. It's debatable whether or not The Colour of Money manages to transcend the original, but as unexpected sequels go it's one of the best. Newman finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor he deserved, too, once again signifying Scorsese's ability to draw out the best performances from his leading men.