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Director:
D.J. Caruso
Cast:
Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Rene Russo, Armand Assante, Jeremy
Piven |
MPAA Rating:
R for pervasive language, a scene of sexuality and a violent act |
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Review:
 This
is film about drug dealers. Gambling is an addiction, and
information is the bong or syringe. If the info is good, then the
high has benefits, and if it's bad, then, well, you know…
Brandon Lane(Matthew McConaughey) is a former college quarterback
who do to a spectacularly made football injury is stuck in a low
level job doing voiceovers for 900 number phone services. One day
the sports guy is sick and he fills in, showing his talent for
picking winners. Soon, he's replaced permanently the guy he
replaced temporarily and is at least making a living at the sports
tout trade.
This gets him noticed by Walter Abraham(Al Pacino), sports tout
extraordinaire, who wants him on the team. Big bucks are promised
and almost immediately, our hero is off flying first class to New
York and a rise to fame and fortune.
But first he has to pass muster with Abraham's wife Toni (Rene
Russo), and as he does so, a kind of romantic triangle begins to
form. We get to see how this sort of game works from the inside,
and it's reminiscent of Ben Younger's “The Boiler Room” where
suckers are bilked out of every cent they have. Actually, this is
slightly more benign, as in order for this crew to make money,
they gamblers have to send a percentage of their winnings to the
company and if they don't the advice is gratis.
This film may be about “drug dealing” on the outside, but it's
also about
religion. We're not sure who's sold his soul to whom, but the deal
is made and we get to see the black magic being made. Walter's
spell works until Brandon, as his secret identity John Anthony,
gets too cocky and Walter unwittingly takes his powers away,
thereby dooming them both, for there are thousands of addicts who
need their junk including a notorious gangster from Puerto Rico
(Armand Assante), who wreaks a salty revenge.
This is, as always, Pacino's film. He chews the scenery like no
one else (except for maybe Jack Nicholson), and while MacConaughey,
manages to just about keep up with him for much of the picture [as
does Jeremy Piven as our hero's rival in the company], no one, but
no one can outdo the master.
This is a fun film. Definitely worth a bargain matinee or a rental
down the road.
Eric Lurio
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