 Rounders (1998) Damon plays Mike, a poker prodigy who gives it all up for Gretchen Möl, an OK actress in a throwaway part who brings to mind the old studio system when any moderately attractive blonde could be catapulted into stardom regardless of talent. These careers inevitably lead to drug use and complete insanity, or at best a dull middle age that spawns a dull "Where Are They Now?" in "People." For Mike, poker proves stronger than the horizontal hokey-pokey (how's that for stretching?), and he resumes his poker habit after his buddy (Ed Norton as "The Worm") is released from prison. The Worm is definitely bad news, having spent his time in prison perfecting shameless poker scams, and he assumes wrongly that his limited charm will save him from trouble. Soon he has used Mike's good name to run up an insane debt, and Mike is forced to save his own hide, determine the course of his future, and reevaluate his notion of friendship. The film is essentially a rite of passage, as Mike learns that he has matured while The Worm has remained a selfish, adolescent fuckup. On that level the story isn't particularly engaging, since Ed Norton, for all his estimable acting ability, cannot make us think for a moment that The Worm is anything but a selfish, adolescent f*ck-up. The whole time we know this, Gretchen Möl knows this, but Matt Damon is too stupid to realize it. That's partly the fault of the writing, which is workmanlike but unremarkable. After literally the first line of dialogue (a voice-over), I turned to my viewing companion and said, "This has the feel of a really good first-time screenplay." I later confirmed that suspicion, which is not to say that it's bad by any means, but let's just say there's plenty of room for these writers to grow. The poker scenes are engaging but completely baffling for someone (like me) who has never played poker, not even on the computer, for fear of being laughed at or beaten up. Mike is such a great poker player that he reminded me of Damon's character in Good Will Hunting, astonishing everyone with his complete brilliance and demolishing all competition (if I were that good at poker, I'd smirk all the time and constantly get punched in the face). The reason Damon's good at playing such characters is that he exudes intelligence without being pretentious or condescending. He seems like a really nice guy who has everyone's best interests at heart, and thus he's a very effective everyman hero. Despite Damon's strong presence, he is clearly not as skilled a performer as Martin Landau, John Turturro, or John Malkovich, but he does hold his own. Unlike Gretchen Möl, I can imagine Damon getting better with every film, working for the rest of his life, becoming our generation's Aryan Tom Hanks. Turturro plays Knish, a fellow poker player who lends money and advice. They call him a "grinder," someone who plays a very good but very conservative game of poker, enabling him to pay the rent and keep food on the table. Knish is what Mike could become, but desperately wants to avoid becoming. Malkovich is acceptable as a dangerous Russian addicted to poker and Oreos, but pretty much anyone with a passable Russian accent, including myself, could have played the role. By the way, I'm more than happy to do my Russian accent on request, and will be performing at Giggles Comedy Club next July, after I learn how to juggle. Landau, as Mike's law school professor/mentor, has only three or four scenes, but they are by far the best scenes in the film. I could easily have watched a whole movie about their relationship, because Landau is truly electrifying, a great and enduring actor with few peers. In just a few moments, Landau provides the emotional center of the film that Gretchen Möl is unable to supply, and ultimately helps Mike choose his destiny. Direction is confident enough to be transparent, which sadly works against the film. It's a rather superficial movie, and although I enjoyed it, by the time I left the theater it was hard to remember much about it without serious thought.
Review by Crimedog |