It is a good movie if you’re a fan of film noir, although I think it improves on a second viewing, and is a very dark drama masquerading as a sports film, like Raging Bull or Million Dollar Baby. But I think The Hustler is better than either of those, it has a lot to say about what it means to live as a real human being. You can have all the talent, wealth and power in the world and still be a loser, and vice versa.