Rounders – Movie Review
First Reaction – Rounders is brilliant at showing the darker side of poker.
Rounders Can Be Watched Here
a JustWatch
Director: John Dahl
Writer: David Levien, Brian Koppelman (Screenplay)
Cast
- Matt Damon (The Martian)
- Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire)
- Edward Norton (Primal Fear)
- John Turturro (Quiz Show)
- John Malkovich (Con-Air)
Plot: A young, reformed gambler must return to playing high stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks, while balancing his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school.
Runtime: 2 Hours 1 Minute
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Rounders starts when gambler Mike McDermott (Damon) loses everything against the biggest gambler in the city, Teddy KGB (Malkovich). It puts his future in law school in doubt and when his friend Worm (Norton) is released from prison, he must decide whether to return to the tables.
Worm takes advantage of Mike’s contacts to start a hustle in the underground clubs. However, he gets caught out and it forces Mike to play and risk everything he has been trying to leave behind.
Verdict on Rounders
Recap
The movie follows a law student who has a gambling problem but has been trying to escape. He loses everything but an old friend gets released from prison and drags him back into the underworld of cards to clear their debts.
Best Parts
The clear best part of this movie is the Poker itself. It has some of the best card scenes in any film put together. We get realistic hands that would see people bet, rather than the unrealistic ones many other films do. When it comes to the story, the idea a friend does what they can to support the other is strong and someone using their skills to solve the problem.
Worst Parts
The other frustrating part of this movie is Worm himself. He seems like a person you wouldn’t want near your life as he constantly causes problems. His attitude toward anyone and everyone makes him one of the most annoying characters in the film. I also think we could have seen more from Mike’s career being put on the line too.
Performances
Matt Damon is great in the leading role here, he followed up Good Will Hunting with another strong performance. While I don’t like the Worm character, he is designed to be annoying and Edward Norton makes the most of this role. The rest of the supporting cast is great and make the most of their roles.
Final Thoughts – Rounders is an excellent reflection of the poker world.
