I will begin with one clear disclaimer: poker is surely not one of my best games and skills. This is partly owing to my so-called poker face that is far more reminiscent of Zero Mostel in ‘The Producers’ than Amarillo Slim. Moreover, some components of the game that are really important, for instance, accurate mental calculations and the subtle hints of human action are surely not my forte. Just like with Chess, I do understand the basic details surrounding the game from a player’s perspective. However, all the aspects, that happened in between such as flops, rivers, and so on and the action required for them were to put it mildly not areas where I was successful in pursuing furthering my education.
Still, films did manage to explain some fundamental ideas to me. For instance, I learned to tell the difference between the good poker movies like “California Split” and “The Cincinnati Kid” from the bad ones such as “Runner Runner” and “A Big Hand for the Little Lady”. The latest is “Dead Money”. As far as poker itself goes, I don’t know how accurate it is in portraying the game, but it fails where you would like so much more from a film: action, drama, or at least vivid personalities and plot twists. The movie isn’t rich in action and entertaining sequences – it’s not a great film, but it can be referred to as a rather bland one that is not entertaining or interesting in any sense.
The movie kicks off at Jack’s place where he operates an unlicensed poker joint in which Jack (David Keith) is a proprietor and gambling addict. Other players include a professional gambler Andy (Emile Hirsch), his girlfriend, who’s attending medical school, Chloe (India Eisley), and cop LT (Peter Facinelli) who’s barely out of uniform. The excitement of the game doesn’t last for long though, as a few guests wearing masks come in, knock Jack’s nose out of joint and take his earnings. All of them then walk out and put the lights out. But when attempting to go back to Jack’s place to look for Chloe’s bag, Andy uncovers the blundering idiot Wendell (Jackie Earle Haley) and Uncle Lonnie (Rory Culkin) who hopes to rob Jack hired him so that he can get some cash and was not so well prepared for the dimwits escape. With a chance to video-talk with Jack and Wendell conducting Uncle Lonnie, Andy grabs the money and takes off.
The following day, while still shaking off the effects of his prolonged rude a/c streak, Andy sees leeway and resolves to clear his outstanding debt and wait out the negative temperatures. Lye’s plan was right, but the idea fell through when he went on to complete his payment hence exposing himself to yet another game. This time, however, it only gets much better from there. For the next few hours, it seems nothing can go wrong in this game as it starts to heat up hot streak where eventually he ends up in one great game which is hosted by Faizel and Bobby Kirkland is also there. While this is happening, Jack and Wendell have figured that Andy has gotten hold of the money, and so they move to his house looking for it, taking Chloe hostages when she steps out unwittingly. As soon as Jack finds out that Andy has sustained himself at Faizel’s place, he wouldn’t stop coming over and telling him, what would bet something like $500,000 dollars in winnings or Chloe the be killed; a situation which becomes even more plausible when the bad runs appear at the most inopportune moments.
You’re probably of the same opinion as me when I say that “Dead Money” is just getting on with ‘Rounders’ and a Tarantino-ravaged crime movie made in the 90s. It has all the attributes of vulgar, twisted plots and characters that are most often either trigger-happy or bleeding out after losing a fight. The Josh Wilcox penned script is brilliant in detailing the peripheral features but slights any notable content in terms of the relevance of the actions. Thus, we are left with a set of dumb individuals performing dumb antics while explaining over several moments the variations of poker lounge they love most.
The very poker games in the movies are not as bizarre as the one-eyed ones in a movie called ‘Maverick’ but the games played there are still dull compared to watching the movie version of Victorian soap operas since the Luc Malpoth director treats the content of the film as a script which should only be smoothed out on the surface with no depth to it. He does not really create any tension in the film even with a lot of people with guns pointing to each other’s heads or their lives on the line.
The actors lack the opportunity to embellish or provide depth to their flat roles as Eisley spends most of her whimpering stripping Hirsch and Keith of any significant character development and, like a mouth-bound prisoner, Keith, Facinelli, and Haley, seem to outdo Jacob in determining whose role will be the most ‘mad’. (Haley is particularly interesting to me as I watch him hasten to explain that one of his grand aspirations is to establish a cock’s fighting club to which he will spend every last cent he will earn, unlike the others).
In the end, ‘Dead Money’ does not offer much, especially to those who enjoy watching B-movies, for it does put a modern touch to that genre. It is a rather formulaic film, which failed to impress significantly and in most cases, may be watched as a second-bill feature. Overall, it offers little in terms of originality; there are way too many cliches among its many ingredients then let’s say in American, irrelevant clichés. But it could use a little more flavor to get the audience’s attention Enthusiasts of those games can regard it as a well-fulfilled job, at least until the sequel for Rounders comes out, The Desolation of the Oreos. In other words, this film will most likely encourage you to fold far too early in the game than you would wish to.
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