- Network: HBO
- Series Premiere Date: Jul 24, 2024
Critic Reviews
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Pete Rose is a complicated figure, perhaps as complicated as any in the history of baseball. Whether you love him or hate him, Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose will keep your interest; the whole story is there, and you can pick your side.
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Reasoning often gets lost in emotions surrounding Mr. Rose, but Mr. Monroe is not a sycophant and his subject is his own worst enemy. None of which is to suggest there isn't a stadium's worth of hypocrisy in Major League Baseball, as the series also makes perfectly clear. .... There is a lot of great baseball footage in "Charlie Hustle," a terrific overview of the games and personalities that made '70s and '80s baseball so exciting.
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If the modern era of celebrity documentaries has been defined by glossy image management and hagiography, filmmaker Mark Monroe achieves something more absorbing and tension-filled simply because Rose is such a dodgy and unreliable narrator.
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Featuring new interviews with Rose, who at 83 remains as obstinate and difficult as ever but also shows flashes of his famous humor and charm, as well as insights from former teammates Ken Griffey Sr., Tommy Helms and Mike Schmidt and broadcasters Al Michaels, Lesley Visser and Marty Brenneman, “Charlie Hustle” is the definitive visual biography of Rose.
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Instead of being clear, conclusive and redemptive, Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose is a complicated snapshot of a man whose greatness and downfall stemmed from similar personality traits. I’m not sure it’s going to end up changing anybody’s opinions, but its journey into an increasingly deep moral muddle makes for fascinating, if unlikable, viewing.