Sunday 1 June 2008

Rounders [1998]



An engrossing and highly entertaining film, Rounders takes a close look at high stakes underground poker games. What director John Dahl brings to the movie is lots of cool moments and well delineated array of events. Matt Damon delivers a smooth performance as a man stuck to a profession that’s just not him. He is studying law, has a drop-dead beautiful and loving girlfriend (Gretchen Mol), sympathetic professors, and a promising career ahead of him. Unfortunately for a guy trying to live a conventional life, his interest lies elsewhere. He is a genius in poker games, and supports his interest with logic and ambition. Edward Norton plays a memorable second fiddle. He too is a poker enthusiast, but is everything that Damon is not. He is brash, street smart, and a cheat. John Malkovich is the perfect villain as ‘KGB’ – he owns the poker joint, is ruthless in his dealings, and speaks with English with such heavy Russian accent that it is almost comic in its impact. Go for Rounders if you are looking for two hours of non-stop unbridled entertainment.








Director: John Dahl
Genre: Urban Drama/Thriller
Language: English
Country: US

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