Even Money

This movie was plausible. Gambling addiction is much like any other addiction, very, very ugly. The characters in the movie did a pretty good job in showing how addiction can destroy one's life. Each character fit his part quite well. Doubling your money, betting the odds may provide a rush, but in the end, it's one gigantic let down. A not bad movie.

An all-star ensemble cast, including Kim Bassinger, Danny DeVito, Kelsey Grammar, and especially a deliciously evil Tim Roth make this a worthwhile view into the addictions of gambling.

Although part of the film's plot is taken directly from the James Caan film, The Gambler, it is still effective in most other areas. However, most of the film's outcomes are predictable, with one exception that I thought was a very nice twist. I will not reveal the twist, but it is truly unexpected.

The addictions are authentic, but some of the characterizations were a bit over the top. Davito's character did not seem realistic to me, but the writer/housewife character was well done. The film is completely stolen by TIm Roth, who creates such a gloriously hateful character. The movie is worth viewing just for his performance.

Despite its decidedly un-ambitious nature, "Even Money" is a modern film noir melodrama with more story lines and characters than Robert Altman's "Nashville." Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, Ray Liotta, Kelsey Grammar, Forest Whitaker, Grant Sullivan, Jay Mohr, and Carla Gugino all play individuals whose only real connection is that they are in some way or another touched by the evils of gambling.

Robert Tannen's overstuffed screenplay wanders all over the map, forcing the actors to spend most of their time just trying to keep up with all the narrative permutations. The most ludicrous subplot features DeVito as a washed-up magician who contemplates a professional comeback by teaming up with the best-selling author and compulsive gambler played by Basinger. Individually, any of the various plot strands might have made for an interesting movie, but taken together, they just keep getting in each others' way.

Veteran filmmaker Mark Rydell has not only helmed the piece but appears in a crucial cameo role late in the film. Sad to say, he doesn't make much of an impact in either capacity.

Following the lives of three individuals centered around an addiction from which they find no escape. The only thing it gets them is DEEPER! Basinger plays a housewife who hides her gambling addiction from her family, even if it means they think she's having an affair. Whitaker plays the older brother of a college basketball student on the verge of making it big time, only to run the risk of being brought down for shaving points. DeVito is a small time magician with a bit of a gambling problem, himself, while Grammar plays a cop trying to find the killer of a bookie and finds himself on the trail of another bookie who's trying to take over the dead man's action.

This film is good! Really! I don't know what else to say about it. The characterizations were right on and the message is there: what a world you live in that will feed you what your disease tells you that you need! It affects all areas of your life: your sanity, your financial situations, your loved ones, your job, and, eventually, if you let it, your life. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bottom-feeders out there who's main reason for living is to give you that "sugar," only to take it away when the time is right (so to speak).

I'm not sure if the director and/or the writer were speaking from personal experience, but, speaking as one with his own addiction demons, he/they weren't very far off the mark! 7 out of 10 stars!

There's quite a few fine films that explore the darker side to gambling and the soul crushing effects it has on people. The destruction of lives, relationships, families, jobs, etc. The best humanize these characters with their sickness at their best and their worst. Perhaps that's what 'Even Money' was trying for amongst other things on its mind.

Simply put, the movie has too many players involved and too much going on. In a bid to be grandiose and end in epic all-tied-together fashion - it ultimately feels heartless and forced. The principal players are as follows. Kim Basinger is an addicted gambler writer with a family. She links up with Danny DeVito who's an over the hill magician also addicted to gambling looking to get his glory back. Forest Whitaker uses his skilled athlete brother (Nick Cannon) to point shave his basketball games to keep the wolves (he's deeply indebted to) at bay.

If you like a lot of recognizable faces in the cast you certainly get it here. In secondary roles you have the likes of Ray Liotta, Tim Roth, Carla Gugino, Jay Mohr and Kelsey Grammer. It's also with these names unnecessary plot points and side stories occur. In the case of Liotta in particular, he gets to play the husband to Basinger as the truth comes out and their family gets torn apart.

'Even Money' isn't a horrible film. The acting is generally decent and it doesn't go all Hollywood giving upbeat, positive endings to all of the characters. However it also doesn't reach a satisfying place, only sporadically entertains and you'll have a hard time liking many of the faces involved.