Runner Runner

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie, Michael Esper, Oliver Cooper, John Heard, James Molina, Christian George
Directed by: Brad Furman
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A bright college student (Justin Timberlake) obtains proof that he was cheated in an online poker room. He confronts the website's owner (Ben Affleck) and starts working for him. He soon begins to suspect the company is not all it appears to be.

Review:

Tim: I really wasn't a huge fan of Runner Runner. The movie was fine, in a forgettable manner. It had a few decent thrills and some suspenseful moments, but all in all, it's a film that gets lost in the shuffle. This isn't a movie anyone will remember and it's simply too average in every sense of the word.

The story has been done numerous times before, but it's always fun seeing an "average" guy get caught up in a lifestyle of wealth and power. As is so often the case, the perfect lifestyle comes at a cost- in many cases (as here), that the business isn't completely illegal. It's a shame it always works out like that. The film mostly goes through the motions. There's a few moments you might not see coming, but for the most part, Runner Runner plays it safe. This is a movie we're all seen before.

The cast is a little disappointing. I think Justin Timberlake has been building a reputation of late as actually having some talent as an actor. This film can't be seen as anything other than a step back. He was just trying too hard. His role seemed forced, like he was pretending to be a very intelligent college student, rather than actually "being" one. I never believed his acting and I never felt any connection with his character. Part of that is the writing, part of that is bad acting. That hurt the movie. Ben Affleck was okay as the sleazy entrepreneur, but again, this felt like a step back for him. He's worked so hard to repair his image and position himself as a true actor and director in Hollywood. This is the kind of role Affleck of 10 years ago would have taken. He's fine as the villain, but it's not particularly interesting and he doesn't bring anything unique to the role. It's way too forgettable. I like Gemma Arterton, but I never bought her performance. Anthony Mackie is another good actor, but he just seemed to be trying too hard here. I'm not sure why such a good cast on paper gave such average performances, but it's a big issue with this film.

Runner Runner isn't a bad movie- it's a perfectly serviceable thriller. I didn't mind watching it terribly, but it didn't do anything particularly special or memorable. The film moves along, never spending enough time on character development or building any kind of connection between the audience and the characters. Everything feels rushed. This is a movie that plays it way too safe, and as a result, it a forgettable, average film. Given the talent involved in this film, the movie desperately needed to be better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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