ROUNDERS
RATING: 7 / 10 --> Good movie
Review Date:
September 12, 1998
Director:
John Dahl
Writers:
David Levien and Brian Koppelman
Producers:
Ted Demme and Joel Stillerman
Actors:
Matt Damon as Mike McDermott
Edward Norton as Worm
Gretchen Mol as Jo
John Malkovich as Teddy KGB
Genre:
Drama
Year of Release: 1998
John Dahl crafts a poker
tale based on a script by first time writers David Levien and
Brian Kopelman. Dahl has previously managed to create three moody
mystery films, including one of my all-time favourites, RED ROCK
WEST (8/10), along with THE LAST SEDUCTION (7.5/10) and
UNFORGETTABLE (7/10).
PLOT:
Poker junkie Mike (Damon) finally goes straight after losing
$30,000 in a life-changing poker match. Soon thereafter, he
concentrates on law school with his straight-as-an-arrow
girlfriend, and tries to avoid all card-game temptations. That
is, until his good friend Worm (Norton) gets out of prison, runs
into some major gambling debts, and morally challenges Mike into
returning to his good old days of "rounding".
CRITIQUE:
Entertaining, believable, if slightly repetitive, behind the
scenes look at the high-stakes game of New York underground poker
through the eyes of one fresh-faced kid with a dream (surprise,
it's Matt Damon!), and his brother-like friend, Worm, whose
integrity for the game is essentially non-existent. This movie
was never boring for me, was filmed in just the right amount of
time, and did maintain an extreme air of authenticity throughout.
Then again, I'm no card shark, so I would have no idea if even
half the jargon used in the film was real anyway ("We might
have to raise the juice on those rounders". Huh?)
The acting was uneven with Norton delivering another great
performance with his sleazy rendition of the morally-bankrupt
Worm, while Damon, well, played Matt Damon pretty well. John
Turtorro's character seemed highly underdeveloped (seems like
some scenes with him might've been cut out), as well as Gretchen
Mol's standard girlfriend repartee (no "Standing by your
man" for this woman!), which didn't add much to the story.
John Malkovich also went over the top and came back, with his
highly carucaturized rendition of a Russian card player. The mood
and soundtrack of the film was nicely set by Dahl, while the
obligatory girlfriend sub-plot line just reminded me of the sour
romance plot-line in DONNIE BRASCO (8/10) from 1997 (in which
Gretchen Mol also appeared as Sonny's (Michael Madsen)
girlfriend.)
Having said that, the film did manage to show us everything you
ever wanted to know about the game of poker and more (I don't
remember seeing a better poker movie in my life, but then again,
I don't remember seeing many poker movies in my life.), and a
greater insight into the mind of an addict (Any type of addict,
if you really think about it.) and the price one could pay for
extreme loyalty. I would recommend this film to all those who
love the game of poker, and are interested in exploring the life
themes of addiction and loyalty. Other than that, the film offers
little else in the romance and/or suspense factors, so if that's
what you're interested in, forget this puppy and go rent yourself
another great Dahl movie: THE LAST SEDUCTION with an Oscar-worthy
performance by Linda Fiorentino as the cold, manipulative sex-pot
with a plan. Either way, you're going to have an interesting
evening.
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars:
Matt
Damon's full name is
Matthew Paige Damon. Matt's first film role was a one-line part
in 1988's MYSTIC PIZZA. Matt co-wrote the screenplay for 1997's
GOOD WILL HUNTING (7.5/10) with best friend, buddy-boy Ben Affleck, for which the duo received an
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Matt dropped 40
pounds for his role in COURAGE UNDER FIRE, and received the sum
of US$600,000 for his role in ROUNDERS.
Screenwriter Brian Koppelman came up with the idea for the script when
he heard about a friend of a friend who made more money as a
"rounder" - a poker hustler - than from his day job on
Wall Street. He met the guy on a street corner in Manhattan, they
went down to one of the clubs, where Koppelman, a former
artist-and-repertoire scout for a record company, was immediately
hooked by the exotic environment. When he got home at 2:30 in the
morning, he called old friend Levien and told him about this
great movie idea. Hence, the screenplay to ROUNDERS.
Both stars Damon and Norton are born in the state of Massachusetts, and
attended Ivy League colleges (Harvard for Damon, Yale for
Norton.)
Director John Dahl co-wrote the screenplay to RED ROCK WEST
with his brother Rick Dahl.
(c) 1998 Berge Garabedian
Movie Reviews by Berge Garabedian