Even Money (2006)

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

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writer:

Robert Tannen

Stars:

Kim Basinger, Forest Whitaker, Nick Cannon

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kim Basinger	...	Carolyn
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
Carson Brown	...	Nicole
Jay Mohr	...	Augie
Grant Sullivan	...	Murph
Jamie Marsh	...	Writer in Coffee Shop (as James Marsh)
Shanelle Gray	...	Jill (as Shanelle Workman)
Tim Roth	...	Victor
Suzanne Covington	...	Lady Winner

Storyline

Gambling: Carolyn, a novelist, is losing her family's savings at the slots; she's befriended by a close-up magician who dreams of making it big. A murdered bookie has the cops focused on Victor, who fronts for the mysterious, never-seen Ivan. Augie and Murph, two other bookies ply their partnership, which is endangered by an offer from Victor to Augie and by Murph's girlfriend's rejection of his violent vocation. A mechanic, in debt to his bookies, asks his basketball-playing brother to shave some points. A paraplegic cop sees all. Will anyone reach their dream? The odds are against it.

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Plot Keywords:

gambling | magician | debt | bookie | addiction | 

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Taglines:

The Fix. The Gamble. The Betrayal. The Threat.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, violence and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Kelsey Grammer's character first goes to see Tim Roth's character early on in the film, on the table in Roth's home is a decorative piece made to look like Seattle's Space Needle. Grammer's sitcom, "Frasier" takes place in Seattle and the opening credits of the show display an outline of the Space Needle and other buildings.

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Goofs

Godfrey Snow is Clyde Snow's little brother but the DVD box synopsis calls Godfrey a nephew to Clyde.

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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... you're ...

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Shrek the Third/Once/Even Money/The Wendell Baker Story/Provkoed (2007)

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Soundtracks

Cielito Lindo
Written by Quirino Mendoza
Performed by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
Courtesy of Bob Yari Music

User Reviews

If things do get as intertwined as many movies portray, don't say that they didn't warn us.

I've noticed that in the 21st century, there's been a surge in movies portraying several people who, although they may never meet, are all connected by something: "Traffic", "Syriana", "Fast Food Nation" and "Babel". Now, there's also Mark Rydell's "Even Money", depicting several people linked by gambling addictions. There's Carolyn Carver (Kim Basinger), a writer ignoring her family and spending all her time in the casino with prestidigitator Walter Markowitz (Danny DeVito); Clyde Snow (Forest Whitaker), a handyman trying to help his son become a basketball player; and Augie (Jay Mohr), who has taken some very wrong turns in his life. But in control of everything is slime-ball Victor (Tim Roth), intent on rigging the upcoming basketball game.

I should say that I didn't find this movie to be as good as the aforementioned intertwined-story films, as the aforementioned ones dealt more with political issues. But I thought that it was worth seeing as a look at the underbelly of life in general (is that a lame description?). And an ugly look at things it certainly is. Victor is one guy whom you hope that you never have to meet, but it's still possible to admire him somewhat. At times, every one of the characters made my skin crawl just a little bit.

All in all, an OK movie. Also starring Ray Liotta as Kim Basinger's husband, Kelsey Grammar as a detective, and director Rydell at the end.

PS: Mark Rydell also directed Bette Midler's movies "The Rose" and "For the Boys".

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 2008 (Egypt)

Also Known As:

Jump Shot

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,465, 20 May 2007

Gross USA:

$64,458

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$111,974

Company Credits

Production Co:

Yari Film Group (YFG), Bob Yari Productions, ApolloMedia Distribution

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1