"Rounders" is not a bad movie. But it's not a very good one. The problem is that the film sends out the wrong message. It says that if you are young, intelligent, and handsome you can overcome- even the greatest of odds, and come out a big winner.
Mike McDermott (Matt Damon), a young attorney, who has given up gambling, after losing his case and law school money to a Russian Mafia boss, who calls himself KGB.
McDermott swears off gambling forever until he has to bail out his best friend, an ex-con named "Worm" (Edward Norton). Worm was sent to prison for making thousands of dollars through a credit card scam, and still owes his creditors over ten thousand dollars in loan money.
Together Worm and McDermott hit the streets of New York, looking for every possible card game in hopes of winning back the money Worm owes. When Worm finally has enough money to pay back his number one creditor, (John Turturro) he digs an even deeper hole for himself by taking out more loan money, instead of just closing his account. This puts a tremendous burden on McDermott, who must choose between loyalty to his friend and keeping his wife (Gretchen Mol) to whom he swore off gambling.
Together Worm and McDermott wind up $15,000 in the hole through losing several hands at poker and even get beaten up a couple of times. Finally McDermott is forced to vouch for Worm, trying to get his friend on payment program to save him from danger. However the creditor, (Turturro) demands his money -all of it- within five days, and now McDermott having vouched for Worm is also responsible for it. Damon borrows $15,000 from his good hearted law professor (Martin Landau) to save Norton's hide and ultimately his own.
Now how can the "hero", Damon, take advantage of the generosity of a friend the way he does? But this is Rounders. A movie about gambling and the mafia should show gambling as a sickness that destroys the integrity and possibly the life of the main character. But Damon comes out of it smelling like a rose, and then heads to Las Vegas to bet even more money. Damon's is a talented performer, but "Rounders" shows little purpose in conveying the right message.
"Rounders", doesn't lecture on the evils of gambling, it promotes them. Even though this movie has similarities to The Sting (1973), Rounders is definitely not Oscar material
Mike McDermott (Matt Damon), a young attorney, who has given up gambling, after losing his case and law school money to a Russian Mafia boss, who calls himself KGB.
McDermott swears off gambling forever until he has to bail out his best friend, an ex-con named "Worm" (Edward Norton). Worm was sent to prison for making thousands of dollars through a credit card scam, and still owes his creditors over ten thousand dollars in loan money.
Together Worm and McDermott hit the streets of New York, looking for every possible card game in hopes of winning back the money Worm owes. When Worm finally has enough money to pay back his number one creditor, (John Turturro) he digs an even deeper hole for himself by taking out more loan money, instead of just closing his account. This puts a tremendous burden on McDermott, who must choose between loyalty to his friend and keeping his wife (Gretchen Mol) to whom he swore off gambling.
Together Worm and McDermott wind up $15,000 in the hole through losing several hands at poker and even get beaten up a couple of times. Finally McDermott is forced to vouch for Worm, trying to get his friend on payment program to save him from danger. However the creditor, (Turturro) demands his money -all of it- within five days, and now McDermott having vouched for Worm is also responsible for it. Damon borrows $15,000 from his good hearted law professor (Martin Landau) to save Norton's hide and ultimately his own.
Now how can the "hero", Damon, take advantage of the generosity of a friend the way he does? But this is Rounders. A movie about gambling and the mafia should show gambling as a sickness that destroys the integrity and possibly the life of the main character. But Damon comes out of it smelling like a rose, and then heads to Las Vegas to bet even more money. Damon's is a talented performer, but "Rounders" shows little purpose in conveying the right message.
"Rounders", doesn't lecture on the evils of gambling, it promotes them. Even though this movie has similarities to The Sting (1973), Rounders is definitely not Oscar material