Bookies (2003)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Mark Illsley

Writer:

Michael Bacall (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Risk is the biggest rush.

Plot:

Centers on four college friends who become small-time bookies, only to find their world spinning dangerously out of control when their greed attracts the attention of organized crime. |

Plot Keywords:

College | Gambling | Money | Student | Underworld

Cast

Nick Stahl	...	Toby
Johnny Galecki	...	Jude
Lukas Haas	...	Casey
Rachael Leigh Cook	...	Hunter
David Proval	...	Larry
John Diehl	...	Vincent
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Martinez
Zuri Williams	...	Duane
Dwight Armstrong	...	Abraham
Steve Hudson	...	Julius Garrett
Errol Trotman-Harewood	...	Professor Felix
Catherine Britton	...	Tammy
Art Karounos	...	Bouncer
Dominic Boeer	...	Buzz Cut (as Dominic Böer)
Marco Stankovic	...	Mark

MPAA:

Rated R for language and drug use.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

Gemini Film

Quotes:

Kelly: Had a busy night?

Soundtrack:

Baby's Come Back

Amateur Film-making! Muddied and Inaccurate Portrayal of Gambling!

"Bookies" offers a glimpse into gambling that lacks basic insights into the fundamentals of sports betting and the psychology of gambling.

The story focuses on three college students who start a bookmaking business on campus, and they immediately attract a thriving and seemingly endless supply of customers. The film suggests that gambling is a novelty, ignoring the fact that anyone may go to the internet and place a bet on a sporting event.

The psychological mindset of the three students was another shortcoming of this film. We did not see addictive personalities or much of the pressures that should have been apparent on three students who were breaking the law in running their bookmaking operation. Instead, the only pressure came from a rival pair of mob-like bookies, not from the inept campus police.

There are two very fine independent films, "Stuey" and "Bought and Sold" that get to the heart of gambling as an addition. Those two films offer better acting, directing, and screen writing than the amateur style of the "Bookies." I wager 10-to-1 that this film will never make it over the 6.0 rating in the IMDb rankings!