thekarmicnomad I am not a massive sports or sports movie fan. But then this film is more about gambling, ambition and greed.The main character is sucked in to a new and exciting world by Al Pacino's character who takes eccentric to new levels.The film is fairly slow and the plot flows along fairly gently, which is just as well because there really isn't a lot of substance to it.The characters are engaging and just enough happens to keep you interested.The majority of the film centres around the affect of success and the motivations that drive the successful on.This is good for an idle Sunday afternoon. Good performances and production but nothing special going on and no fireworks.

Prismark10 Al Pacino continues his run of starring alongside a younger rising star. In Two for the Money he plays Walter Abrams, domineering, highly strung sports book adviser and former gambling addict with a dodgy heart.Matthew McConaughey plays Brandon Lang, a former American Footballer whose out of the game permanently due to a knee injury but has an instinctive ability to call the game and game-plays.Abrams takes Lang under his wing as his protégé, grooming him, shaping him, changing his clothes, style and even his name as Lang picks winners and attracts big time gamblers who bet more on more each week.The film itself is standard text of a sports drama film with first you see the coaching of the young star, then his swift rise to the top and then the catalyst that leads to a decline before the film heads for a finish.In this case Abrams refuses to share the wealth with Lang who is now attracting high rollers and Lang hits self destruct and starts to pick losers affecting the company and his clients who are losing big time. Of course from very early on from Pacino's full on performance as larger than life Abrams, this is a person you can never keep up with and he is in fact warned early on by Abrams's wife played by Rene Russo.Of course the biggest problem from the outset is that we see Pacino play these characters before and you see a trail already as where this film is going. Also we have to swallow just because a person has played the game, understands the game he can call the game. In that case, surely other footballers could do the same? Sports is based on many factors such as mistakes, slips, bad calls and incidents rather than pure skill from the other side, it what makes the game exciting and difficult to predict.So what starts as mildly interesting is as predictable as a tame roller coaster ride. Nothing too exciting but both leads have charm enough to keep you watching.

A_Different_Drummer At the end of the day, after we have already discussed the story, the morality, the flirt-with-the-wife arc, the ending .... at the end of the day this movie will be remembered for Matthew McConaughey's willingness to go up against Pacino. No easy feat, that. Pacino is an actor's actor, he has been stealing scenes with aplomb since his Godfather days (where, no coincidence, they based an entire segment on his character). When he is not in a film stealing scenes, he is on Broadway, or off-Broadway, honing his craft (ie, honing his ability to steal scenes.) And nature has been kind to Pacino, on top of everything else, in the last 20 years his voice has turned into a natural growl that is not only unique on the screen but helps him (you guessed it) steal even more scenes. So, into the ring walks Matthew McConaughey, an actor of wildly uneven skills, sometimes brilliant, sometimes lost (see his forays into horror) and the real issue here -- plot aside -- is, does McConaughey hold his own, or does he get chewed up with the rest of the furniture? Answer: Matthew pulls it off. Gifted with an odd sort of physicality, he does indeed hold his own in this film against the pro, and THAT is what makes this film likely to stand the test of time.

chiefs3182 From the opening scene, to the closing scene, this movie was setup perfectly. The cast was wonderful, and Matthew McConaughey was perfect for the leading role. Al Pachino is listed first, but "John Anthony" is what makes the movie. If you have ever been a part of the betting world, there is nothing not to like about this movie. It shows the upside and the downside for both the businesses facilitating this type of behavior as well as how it impacts the individuals. Seeing the ups and downs that Matthew McConaughey experiences along the way will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more. I was extremely pleased with this movie and the twists and things throughout will def keep you watching!