A former college quarterback whose life plans changed when he suffered a career ending injury turns out to have remarkable skill at picking winning football bets. Eventually, he comes to the attention of a very successful business tycoon who runs a giant gambling operation. The tycoon brings the former quarterback to New York and introduces him to a glitzy, fast-paced, money-drenched lifestyle that he eagerly soaks up. When his magic touch begins to falter, the tycoon starts to turn on is protege. Soon, the two men are attempting to outwit each other in a high stakes game of chicken.
Matthew McConaughey and Al Pacino did a great job of bringing the chaos of a sports gambling operation to life on the screen. The writing was also very good and I was drawn into the film enough to be rooting for favorable outcomes that would help the operation succeed. While the characters were larger than life, they were humanized enough to seem real (it was based on true events, by the way). Rene Russo added to the film by being the voice of reason as the wife of Pacino's character. My only complaint would be that the ending was anticlimactic, but it could have been worse. I really liked the fact that the bonus features on the DVD included an interview with the guy that this film was based on.
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino, Rene Russo, Jeremy Piven
I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.
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