Hm, I suppose I ought to have made that sentence quite shorter, but whatever … I'm addicted to words! In any event, Owning Mahowny (poorly chosen title notwithstanding) is an amazing film which P.S. Hoffman totally dominates. Unlike Love Liza (which also starred Hoffman and came out around the same time), this one goes deep without resorting to the sort of cartoonish indie-cinema quirks that would make its execution ring hollow. Perhaps this being a true story helped it stay on point. John Hurt is deviously charming as the casino owner who simultaneously admires Mahowny's naive high-rolling while enabling the man's massive losses and greedily scooping up the spoils. Driver is not especially effective with a Canadian accent as Mahowny's too-supportive girlfriend, but the part is small enough that she doesn't drive things down to any degree. The ending of the film wraps up a bit over-tidily, but as a character study, Mahowny is nearly unbeatable. Ultimately, the film is entirely owned by Hoffman in what will probably remain his best-ever performance. There is a devastating sense of heartbreak in several scenes where he loses everything simply because he is incapable of leaving the table while he's flush. His vulnerability and despair, communicated through the most subtle of exhaled breaths and furrowed brows, makes William H. Macy's Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo seem like Urkel.
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