Rounders

Starring: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, Martin Landau, Famke Janssen, John Malkovich
Directed by: John Dahl
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A law school student (Matt Damon) and truly excellent poker player has turned away from the high stakes lifestyle after he lost everything to a Russian poker master (John Malkovich). He thought that life was behind him, until he picks up his childhood friend (Edward Norton), who has just got out of prison. He convinces his old friend to reenter the poker games once more, but they soon find themselves in over their heads, and only that perfect hand could save them from themselves.

Review:

Tim: This is a very good movie that has a few fatal flaws which bring it down more than you'd expect. I love the in-depth look at high stakes poker and how it can affect peoples' lives.

Matt Damon is superb. He is not only a realistic poker master, but brings to life and incredibly cool character. The highlight of the film comes when Damon reads the hands of a group of judges playing poker. It is brilliant.

I was actually somewhat disappointed in Edward Norton's performance. He plays it well enough, but he doesn't capture the role like he usually does. He fits well with Damon but doesn't make a perfect match to him, like he needed to in order to be successful. The supporting cast is decent, with John Malkovich giving a particularly good performance.

The film succeeds in its realisitic portrayal of the life of a hardcore poker player- both straight up, and the underhanded, cheating side. Damon takes us on a journey where greed, egos, and luck all determine to which side you will fall of a thin line between success and failure.

The film fails when it drags in several places. Important moments are drawn out and lose their emotional appeal. Not enough character development occurs. This is a film that has a flashy exterior, but as you begin to peel away the layers, you find less and less substance. To end on a positive not, the one-on-one poker game in the film's climax is pretty great.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Mean Streets, Red Rock West, Maverick