Even Money (2006/I)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writer (WGA):

Robert Tannen (written by)

Release Date:

19 November 2008 (Egypt)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Life is a gamble. How much are you willing to risk?

Plot:

Gambling addiction bring the stories of three otherwise unconnected people together as it destroys each of their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Gambling | Bookie | Magician | Addiction | Debt

Cast

Kim Basinger	...	Carolyn Carver
Kelsey Grammer	...	Detective Brunner
Michael Eaves	...	Announcer
Forest Whitaker	...	Clyde Snow
Texas Battle	...	Darius Jackson
Nick Cannon	...	Godfrey Snow
Charles Robinson	...	Coach Washington (as Charlie Robinson)
Ray Liotta	...	Tom Carver
Carson Brown	...	Nicole Carver
Jay Mohr	...	Augie
Grant Sullivan	...	Murph
James Marsh	...	Writer in Coffee Shop
Shanelle Workman	...	Jill
Tim Roth	...	Victor
Suzanne Covington	...	Lady Winner

Also Known As:

Jump Shot (USA) (working title)
Tödlicher Einsatz (Germany) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Yari Film Group (YFG)

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Godfrey Snow is Clyde Snow's little brother but the DVD box synopsis calls Godfrey a nephew to Clyde.

Quotes:

Detective Brunner: Like I said we're all chasin somethin. More money. More love. What we're really looking for is more life. But sometimes you go looking for more, and you wind up with less. It's a beautiful world. We ought to be satisfied. But the truth is... we all want more. Some take a chance for the rush of winning. Some for love. But you can't have your dream without laying something on the line. The key is not to risk what you can't afford to lose. You might think you're different. But someday...

"Crash" for the gambling set

Despite its decidedly un-ambitious nature, "Even Money" is a modern film noir melodrama with more story lines and characters than Robert Altman's "Nashville." Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, Ray Liotta, Kelsey Grammar, Forest Whitaker, Grant Sullivan, Jay Mohr, and Carla Gugino all play individuals whose only real connection is that they are in some way or another touched by the evils of gambling.

Robert Tannen's overstuffed screenplay wanders all over the map, forcing the actors to spend most of their time just trying to keep up with all the narrative permutations. The most ludicrous subplot features DeVito as a washed-up magician who contemplates a professional comeback by teaming up with the best-selling author and compulsive gambler played by Basinger. Individually, any of the various plot strands might have made for an interesting movie, but taken together, they just keep getting in each others' way.

Veteran filmmaker Mark Rydell has not only helmed the piece but appears in a crucial cameo role late in the film. Sad to say, he doesn't make much of an impact in either capacity.