Steve McQueen brings his stone cold gaze to the world of poker in The Cincinnati Kid, a strong little film that essentially does for Poker what 'The Hustler' did for pool. This is a well shot film, particularly during the climax , that uses some great shot selections and lighting to really enhance the tension towards the climatic final scene. Edward G. Robinson co-stars as 'The Man', known as the best poker player who McQueen's character has his eyes set on dethroning. Robinson is pretty much perfect at playing this character whose old, quiet and calculating demeanor are what makes him so intimidating. The core strength of the film for me revolved around The Cincinnati Kid's mindset and how such a strong-willed man, who rarely shows any emotion, can be shattered because of too much pride. The film also uses the relationships he keeps with woman as a way of displaying this inner turmoil. He clearly cares a lot about Christian, his girlfriend, but has trouble expressing it and really showing any affection in general. Two random character notes: Ann-Margret is pretty much a bombshell in this movie as Melba, a gold-digger whose eyes are focused on making the Kid her own. Also, what the fuck happened to Rip Torn? Let's just say he didn't particularly age gracefully 7.75/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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