The movie is a lucid and comprehensive picture of a rotten system, but it’s a relief to know that some people in the midst of disaster were doing their jobs.
The film doesn’t come to life until too late in the game.
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
There's valuable information here and some human stories that deserve to be heard.
50
VarietyRonnie Scheib
VarietyRonnie Scheib
The filmmakers' metaphor of the housing market as a casino, with hard-working people's homes used as chips, although apt, may lack the visual and visceral excitement.
50
Village Voice
Village Voice
This authoritative, far-reaching documentary by veteran investigative journalists Leslie and Andrew Cockburn comes off as curiously bloodless.
American Casino tries to connect the big picture regarding a major problem to a human pulse and comes up lacking on both sides. It’s a gamble that simply doesn’t pay off
40
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
The movie's lack of Michael Moore-style dynamism has a dulling effect. What saves it is the human face it puts on the crisis, and its indictment of corporate greed.