Grade: B+
Synopsis: In 1930’s Louisiana, an up and coming poker player (Steve McQueen) seeks a game with the reining king of stud poker (Edward G. Robinson).
The Cincinnati Kid is a very good poker movie. Unlike recent entries such as Rounders or Lucky You, The Cincinnati Kid doesn’t concern itself with side plots involving the mob or romance, but instead, like The Hustler, it focuses on one man’s obsession and the collateral damage it creates.
While director Norman Jewison does a solid job, I can’t help but think original director Sam Peckinpah would have elevated this film to true greatness. That he was fired for shooting a nude scene with a then-unknown Sharon Tate is a testament to the dark, adult, tone he would have brought to the picture. Further, the story’s themes of obsession, loyalty, betrayal, tradition, and chance are right up Peckinpah’s alley, having served as the foundation for many of his best films.
For his part, Steve McQueen seems born to play the title role. His usual timeless and understated performance is precisely what is required to bring his character to life. Backing him is an equally well chosen supporting cast highlighted by Edward G. Robinson who conveys volumes about his character in a relatively small amount of screen time.
The script by Ring Lardner Jr. and Terry Southern is full of great dialog, and does a good job of remaining accessible to non poker players. However, the blatant string-raise McQueen’s character makes toward the film’s end should have been caught and excised. While it may sound good, it hurts the film’s credibility.
Bottom Line: While not perfect, The Cincinnati Kid is probably the best poker movie made so far, and is accessible even to non-poker players. Recommended.
One Response on “The Cincinnati Kid (1965)”:
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daily dwayne said:
B-
I want to sit here and compare it to Rounders, but it’s a different story. Where Rounders focused on Mike and Worm, the underbelly of the poker world and Mike rising out of a horrible situation, The Kid tried its hardest to hang on to a love story and focus on the game itself. So no Rounders comparisons (I did like Rounders better..slightly).
The Cincinnati Kid’s biggest flaw in my eyes was the failed attempt at a love story between The Kid and Christian. Yeah he goes and sees her at her parent’s house and wins them over…but (no spoilers) her role towards the end of the film seemed forced. I feel like the movie as a whole would have been better if The Kid’s relationship with her was known, but just secondary to the plot instead of trying to jam it in as a last minute, “oh hey, he’s got a girlfriend!”
either way, that and cab calloway’s bad acting (but hey, it’s CAB CALLOWAY!) were the only two downfalls that I noticed. The poker scenes were GREAT, the string bet excluded, and Rip Torn’s role was perfect.
I liked Ann-Margret’s role as well…but I don’t want to spoil anything and if I got into why I think she was almost unnecessary I’d have to give something away.
In a nutshell..McQueen is awesome as usual, Edward G. Robinson as “The Man” was perfect and the camera work during the poker games was top notch.
I would highly recommend this film to gamblers and poker fanatics.
