The Winner

The Winner's a loser.

Sometimes it's hard to conceive of how anyone could ruin a movie. Totally ruin it that is. How bad would a screenplay have to be? How bad would the directing have to be? The acting? These things have a tendency to correct each other.

Then along comes 'The Winner' and you realise not only how difficult - and how much hard work - it must be to produce a 'good' movie, but how many means one has at one's disposal to completely ruin one.

How about sloppy scene shots where the director forgets to watch he's got photographic continuity, so you end up getting a Francois Truffaut effect - as that's all he's got to work with? If you want to break the 35 degree rule you'd better have a good reason and be consistent. This (sorry) 'jerk' of a team that made this piece of junk have no such ambitions. Artistic integrity? A message to convey? As if they think they're working on art?

Forget it.

Oh - by the way: what is Rebecca doing in this movie? Worst yet, what is she doing producing it? Still have a few things to learn about the industry, Becks old girl?

Alex Cox has had a very tempestuous relationship with Hollywood over the years, and I think he has all but disowned 'The Winner', but as uneven as it is, it still makes interesting viewing. Vincent D'Onofrio ('Full Metal Jacket') plays Philip, a guy who goes into a casino every Sunday and wins. Consistently. This creates quite a stir and all kinds of people come out of the woodwork wanting a piece of the action, including a showgirl (Rebecca De Mornay - 'Runaway Train') who romances him even though she is involved with a casino heavy (Billy Bob Thornton - 'Pushing Tin'), his estranged criminal brother (Michael Madsen - 'Reservoir Dogs), a nutty wanna be mobster (Frank Whaley - 'Swimming With Sharks') and his two bumbling sidekicks (Richard Edson - 'Strange Days' and Saverio Guerra - 'Becker'). All are planning to rip him off in some fashion. While this movie doesn't completely satisfy there are enough enjoyable scenes from the outstanding supporting cast of low lifes and oddballs to make it worth watching. Delroy Lindo ('Get Shorty') plays the mysterious boss of the casino, and Cox regulars Sy Richardson and Biff Yeager pop up in brief cameos, as does the director himself. I would be very much interested in seeing Cox's own cut of 'The Winner' but until then , this is a curious movie that is worth a look. Flawed yes, but fascinating.

What a disappointment - with such good actors like D'Onofrio and director - Cox - we were all primed for, if not a great thriller, at least a decent gambling, Vegas movie. It was hard to maintain any interest in the insipid and one-dimensional characters and uninvolving story line. It looks like it was adapted from a play by the author and perhaps she needed more help structuring it. The actors try but seem to be directing themselves. Give it a miss.

Rebecca De Mornay - yes! Vincent D'Onofrio - yes! Delroy Lindo - yes! Michael Madsen - yes! What more could you want in a movie.

Put them in Vegas and give us a story about robbery, and you got me. yes, you got me - with a movie that just didn't seem to go anywhere. It just jumped all over the place and had no consistent theme.

Wendy Riss is just not a scriptwriter, yet. Work some more and get it right.

I expected much more from director Alex Cox, especially after the job he did with Rosario Tijeras. I was so disappointed.

Not a winner!

This film had quite a bit going for it. Interesting premise... Alex Cox directing, Michael Madsen, Rebecca DeMournay, starring, Las Vegas setting..but,alas, it wasn't meant to be. I was bored throughout this film. I kept hoping that it would pick up. It just didn't! Must have looked good on paper, sure didn't on screen.