The Rounders by David Levien - Nine out of 10

The Rounders by David Levien

Nine out of 10

For some strange reason critics have not appreciated this formidable – if you ask this cinephile – motion picture, for they gave it a Metascore – an average – rating of only 54 out of 100.

The public has been more generous, with a more decent 7.3 out of a maximum of 10.

Perhaps some of the suggestions in the film have made the critics uneasy to approve it, for indeed, one main message seems to be that you can play poker and win the big pot, for this is not just a game that relies on luck and it takes much more skill and psychological insight.

Thus, seeming to encourage people to get into card games – where ultimately the cards you get to play depend on nothing else but luck – this motion picture may be dismissed as one that could be responsible for addictions and in many places, there are numerous individuals and families that have lost everything to gambling.

Having said that, there is also an excellent point which is made by the main character of the feature, Mike McDermott aka the super star Matt Damon twenty two years ago, in 1997, who is certain that it is not a question of good fortune, but on the contrary, it depends on stamina, courage, self-control, social intelligence and he has some proofs for that.

At the start of the film, we see the hero sharing a flat with his girlfriend, Jo aka Gretchen Mol, and taking thousands of dollars from their hiding places and using them to play at the private club owned by Teddy KGB aka an iconic John Malkovich in top form, resplendent with a very credible, amusing and yet so scary Russian accent and mob manner.

Teddy owes his nickname to his infamous connections with the Russian gangsters and he is perhaps the most dangerous man in the cards game arena, while Joey Knish aka the grand, masterful John Turturo is a benign figure, who tries to convince Mark to renounce his plan to gamble all at the table.

Nonetheless, this what he does and KGB takes all his savings, making it impossible for the law student to pay and continue his studies and furthermore, eventually helping to destroy his relationship with Jo.

As if this was not already a traumatic, almost calamitous situation, Worm aka the tremendous Edward Norton, is released from jail and the former friends get together and the ex-convict soon attracts the hero into a negative, terrible spiral, trying to pay the debt he had accumulated and avoid tragedy, death at the hands of the mobsters that control the loan sharks.

In the effort to save his friend – although the use of the term appears wrong as soon as it is placed on the screen, for the definition would not include treachery, abuse, hurting a mate, which was Worm would do – the protagonist is sucked into a circle of cheating, gaining and then losing all.

When they play in a club with apparent amateurs, Mike takes off on a winning streak, but the reckless, corrupt, vicious Worm still pushes for dirty tricks – reminding one of the anecdote with the scorpion that talks to the frog about crossing the pond and when they both reach the middle, the scorpion stings the other animal and they both sink to the bottom and the frog asks why would he do a thing that would cause them both to die only to get the reply that the scorpion could not help it for it is in his nature.

This vile nature of Worm brings about the catastrophe, for the men losing are police officers in their spare time, they see something is wrong and when they have the proof, they take all the money and beat the two scoundrels – Mike is not one, but then the company he keeps is his downfall.

Worm would run away and now the hero is left to hear the music, facing death or maiming at the hands of KGB and his gorillas, for the Russian owns the debt and they take no prisoners, if the money is not paid in full.

There is a small chance, for Mike has an excellent relationship with his professor, Abe Petrovsky played by yet another legend – the fact that there are so many formidable actors should place this wondrous film on the must-see list – Martin Landau.

The professor is willing to loan what he can – there is a phenomenal scene in which this and other professor play poker and the master student is able to tell with extraordinary talent what everyone has, just by looking at the faces and helps Petrovsky win.

With the money from this generous, kind man, Mike walks into the KGB domain and he plays to win and pay back the loan, save his life, or at least physical integrity, his limbs, although it seems such a terrible risk.

We learn at one point that the talented psychologist has taken the chance to play against the World Champion, when he had met him by chance and albeit it seemed like such a long shot, the amateur has won the game and he is determined to participate in Las Vegas and try to become the next king of the poker game.

In the meantime, he has to face the scary KGB and his acolytes that at one stage seem to be ready to “work” on the young man, although in fairness, the vicious gang leader prevents them with – shall we call it humor?