DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Matt Damon as MIKE MCDERMOTT Edward Norton as LESTER “WORM” MURPHY Gretchen Mol as JO John Malcovich as TEDDY KGB Martin Landau as ABE PETROVSKY John Turturro as JOEY KNISH Famke Janssen as PETRA Rated R Studio: Miramax Directed by: John Dahl Back to DVD Review Home |
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I’ve never been much of a poker player. I don’t have the stomach for it. On one hand, I’m not stupid enough to play poker in a casino because I know there are guys out there that are much better than me and just waiting to take my money. On the other hand, I don’t get into home games because I don’t feel right about taking cash from friends of mine. I know I could learn to play poker like a professional, but I don’t do it for the same reason I don’t smoke crack. I know if I got good, I wouldn’t be able to stay away from the game.
Recently, poker’s become a spectator sport on television. Not only does ESPN broadcast the World Series of Poker, but every other network seems to be trying to put together a poker show after the sleeper success of celebrity poker. I’ll watch the World Series of Poker now and then (thanks to the No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tutorial on the “Rounders” DVD to give me the basics of the game), but I can’t stand that celebrity poker garbage. What’s the excitement in watching a bunch of not-so-bright people playing with money they can afford to lose?
“Rounders” is about two types of poker players. Matt Damon plays Mike, a guy who is just really good at reading other players and wins honestly. Ed Norton plays Worm, a decent poker player who can’t resist cheating at the game. After Mike blows his $30,000 in savings on a single game with underground card shark Eddie KGB (John Malcovich), he swears to his girlfriend (Gretchen Mol) that he’s off the game. But when he picks up Worm from prison, he’s swept back up in the world of poker. Unfortunately, Worm has some gambling debts that he racked up before prison, and Mike is drawn into the mess as well.
For every sport, there’s a film that the fans love. For example, no one cares about movies like “Tin Cup” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance” if they don’t like golf. But avid golfers usually own those films. “Rounders” is the film for poker fans. But it’s still not a bad flick even if you don’t like the game. Of course, it helps to know poker a bit, or you might get lost in the lingo and slang.
Both Matt Damon and Ed Norton are decent in the film, although they both play characters we’ve seen them play before. There’s not much of a stretch for either of them, but fortunately they both work well as Mike and Worm. There are some good shows in the supporting cast, including John Turturro as professional poker player Joey Knish and Martin Landau as Mike’s law professor.
Ultimately, this film has a better message than you might think - people should do what they’re born to do, not what they think society wants them to do. While Mike is languishing in law school, he’s good enough to be a professional poker player. While very, very few of us should move to Vegas to try to bluff out world champion players like Johnny Chan, we should follow our calling. So few of us actually do this and settle for some dead-end job that just pays the bills.
This new DVD of “Rounders” has some nice features to it. Once you get past the annoying animated menus, there’s two different commentary tracks. The first features director John Dahl, screenwriters David Levien and Brian Koppelman, and Edward Norton. This is your run-of-the-mill commentary and gives some nice insights, but the better commentary is the one that features world champion poker players Johnny Chan, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth and Chris Moneymaker. Their commentary gives insights into the game itself and also busts some of the movie magic that works so well in the film.
Other extras on the DVD includes a behind-the-scenes special, a background featurette on professional poker and poker tips from championship players. But the most fun extra feature is the No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tutorial and game. This will teach you the basics of Texas Hold ‘Em enough for you to play against the computer. Although you’ll have to endure some corny narration by Edward Norton, it will definitely help you understand the game a little better.
There’s a way to play poker against the computer, with it acting as a professional and as an amateur. The only problem with the professional game is that all you see is the cards. If there ever was a poker message in this movie, it is that this is a game of skill and not a chance gamble. The way the skills are used is to read your opponents and learn their “tells,” which are unconscious messages that let you know if they’re bluffing or not. However, when you play against the computer, you can’t read anything, which makes the game less appealing - and also less instructional.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (2.35:1) - Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. French language track. Spanish subtitles. English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
