Turd Ferguson Low budget movie which may work to this movies advantage. No frills, no glitz. Probably about 98% of this movie either takes place at Mahoneys place employment or the casino. There's a romantic side to this story but it thankfully does not take away from the film but actually adds to it without interference to the story.Hoffman utilizes so many different emotions in this movie it really is remarkable, a bit of joy, despair, anxiety plus being an asshole. The script is excellent, keeps a nice pace, very well acted, very very good cast not only with Hoffman, Hurt and Driver but a sound supporting ensemble.

albrechtcm This tells the sad story of a perfectly nice man's slide into addiction. This isn't about alcohol or drugs, but an addiction to gambling. An addiction so overwhelming that it nearly destroys his life, and the lives of others. Smoothly directed and carefully filmed, each frame that rests on Mr. Hoffman's face clearly reveals this consummate actor's inner struggle. As he sinks ever deeper into his addiction and the criminal activity necessary to keep going, we suffer along with him, knowing that in the end there's only hopelessness — but he still can't stop, and neither can we. Ms Driver as his faithful and long-suffering partner is just as real in her devotion combined with her helplessness in the face of this rival, a rival she cannot hope to best. The supporting cast is excellent, all real and all real people. This is not a feel-good story. It's depressing but at the same time fascinating as we watch Mr. Hoffman's descent into his own personal hell, a hell he cannot allow anyone else to enter with him.

pepekwa Seymour Hoffman is one of the best actors on the planet and it a shame he doesn't get recognition in roles like this. His portrayal of a mild mannered bank manager with a boring job who siphons money from his bank to fund his high stakes hobby was utterly compelling, I love movies about gambling and this one really showed us in clear detail the traits of a hardened gambler. On the other side of the table, it was also very interesting to see how casinos try and lure the "whales" back to the table by any means. The ending was unclear and I still don't really know how Mahowny really got away so lightly but as it was a true story, you cant really question that. But that doesn't take away from a remarkable story and a stellar acting performance.

emdoub This has an interesting-enough story, some remarkable performances, and decent production values, yet still fails, for several reasons.First - Minnie Driver should never wear another blond wig. It wasn't a bad wig, mind you - but she looked so wrong as a blond that it marred every scene she was in.Second - have someone who hasn't read the book read the script. So much of what was going on was unexplained that it was difficult to follow the action.For example, at one point, Mahowny is gambling in a casino, dealing from the shoe. The game could be blackjack, but it's not clear enough to be certain, you never see the other player(s?) at the table, so it's unclear whether it's a casino employee or another patron. The only casino game in which patrons deal that I know of is baccarat - and I don't believe that that is played in U.S. casinos.At another point, Mahowny is driving along in his old car, and the scene cuts to his car being stopped in the middle of the street, with him trying to restart it. Did he run out of gas? Did the engine just quit, inexplicably? The action at the bank is told in much the same way - there are little snippets, but the viewer never gets enough information to have a clear idea of how our protagonist is doing what he's doing.It probably makes a much better story if you already know the story - but there's so much missing from the actual action, and from the characters, that it's remarkably difficult to become engaged with either the events or the characters.I'm giving it 4/10, but only that high because the performances were as good as they were. The script gets 1/10 - I must admit, I've seen worse.