RoundersI think of film as a medium to transport me to a different place. Since watching films, I have been on the decks of Titanic. I have been allowed to accompany astronauts in their trip to the moon. I have even witnessed a man, stuck in his wheelchair, become involved in a life-or-death situation. And if that is what films are for, then ROUNDERS simply adds to it. It gives us something new to look at, something new to think about. Certainly, no one would call this film original, but it has a peculiar charm that is hard to look away from. And that's one of its strongest points.
But someone needs to slap those two writers David Levien and Brian Koppelman. Arguably, they certainly know their poker. In fact, I would be safe to assume that they spent years researching it (by the way, they did). The problem doesn't arise from the actual poker games but the events that surround them. If you think about this film, it's basically Good Will Hunting revisited a year later. Only this time around, the genius young man realizes he has a gift and enjoys it thoroughly. Perhaps the echoes are merely a coincidence, but it's not just that... it's been done repeatedly before. It's just the locations and circumstances that keep changing.
ROUNDERS begins with a scene that plays out incredibly well. Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) is playing a game of poker with Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), a Russian card shark with a vast amount of knowledge about playing the people and not the cards. After wiping Mike clean of his $30,000, the film jumps forwards nine months as Mike has now been forced to take up driving a truck for a living. He has a live-in girlfriend Jo (Gretchen Mol) and studies law at the college. The $30,000 he used to have was to pay for tuition. Now, he has nothing, works in a job offered by his poker mentor Joey Knish (John Turturro), and he promised Jo that he would never play again. But hey... this is a movie. We know he will play again.
And play he does. When his friend Worm (Edward Norton) is released from prison, he finds himself stuck in a predicament. You see, Worm has debts to many different people. But one man bought them all up and is now demanding the money be repayed with interest. Stupidly, Mike vouches for his friend and becomes intertwined with the debtor and Worm's debts. He now faces the dilemma of whether or not to play again and lose his girlfriend, or not play and lose his best friend. I will let you discover the answer (but frankly, between you and me, if you haven't seen the previews, you still know the answer).
Soon enough, Mike begins to lose control of the situation as Worm continually gets him into trouble. He borrows money from a card shark (Famke Janssen) and doesn't repay her. He loves to cheat in games by giving Mike a great hand, which finally gets both of them beaten up and all their money taken. Now, with only a couple days left, Mike must get ahold of $15,000 to pay off Worm's debt. He asks his professor (Martin Landau) and grudgingly agrees to lend him ten thousand (one of the film's weaker plot points). Still missing five, he decides to go to Teddy KGB again and play to get it. Since this film is basically following the Rocky plot, we know that in the end Mike's gotta win. This is a Hollywood motion picture... he has to. But the pleasure in watching the climactic sequence is so good that even knowing the ending won't hurt your enjoyment.
Okay, so I have revealed the entire film now. It doesn't matter, since this is one of those films that succeed through it's subtleties. The main plot is vaguely familiar, but the poker elements are so interesting that anyone will be fascinated (unless, of course, you happen to be a 'rounder' yourself). During one spectacularly written scene, Mike begins a hilarious monologue concerning poker. Playing in Atlantic City, Mike ends up at a table with several of his friends. Two other people (most likely tourists) decide to try their luck. Mike comments on what these players are getting themselves into, and frankly, it's one of the smartest monologues I've heard in quite some time. Mike goes on to say that poker is all about skill, and not about luck. "If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour of a game, you are the sucker," he comments. Here is a film that uses voice-overs just as good as GoodFellas. They don't seem intrusive in the slightest, and they add depth and humor to everything on screen.
Director John Dahl is a skilled director. He's shown his talent with films like Red Rock West, The Last Seduction, and who could forget Unforgettable, all suspenseful film noir motion pictures (especially the last, which is one of the most underrated films of the 1990s). But his problem here is taking a straight-forward path. Certainly, this is mostly a result of the writing, but Dahl could have asked or done something to change it. All of his films make you question the reality of the situations, but here, there is nothing to question. It's so predictable (something excruciatingly unusual for him) that by the end, it's almost not worth the time. Well, yes it is. As said above, the entire movie wins on its details. The screenplay, which is hit and miss, is a thoughtful and smart one... just a little too convoluted for its own good.
Matt Damon has sprouted from an unknown great actor in Courage Under Fire to a well-known great actor. His major breakthrough was with The Rainmaker and then he went on to command the screen in Good Will Hunting for which he earned two Oscar nominations, winning one. Here, Damon does it again, stealing the entire film (something main actors should do more often). His performance adds to the film immensely. Edward Norton has yet to give a bad performance and he doesn't here either. His childlike attitude towards everything (such as, I could never get caught for cheating) is a perfect match-up for Damon's seriousness. Together, Damon and Norton provide a team as strong as any you'll find in film. John Malkovich has been getting some bad reviews for his accent, but I think he is completely aware of his exaggeration. His performance is a wonder to behold as every facial movement and expression is the character's trait, not his own. Martin Landau is relegated to a flat, one dimensional character (obviously, he was only in there to give Mike the loan). Even John Turturro and Gretchen Mol can't save their characters. But Famke Janssen can. Here, Janssen gives her first original performance since GoldenEye (the best villain in the entire James Bond series, in my opinion). She is a good actress... she just needs good material to work with (just look... she was even good in Deep Rising!). This is a very, very good cast.
ROUNDERS is rated R for language and some violence. If you want a film concerning the theories behind poker, this is your best bet. If you want a character study, you best look somewhere else. Sure, many people will be lost at the technical dialogue concerning poker (I was, and so was Matt Damon, from what I hear... but, you can look up poker definitions at The Rounders Homepage). But it isn't hard to understand the slight glances and the seemingly unnoticeable expressions of happiness that cross people's faces bearing a good hand. Just watching this film makes you want to go out and try it on someone else. Unfortunately, those at the table may be doing the same thing.