Pokers

I watched 'Gutshot Straight' solely because of my interest in poker, I appreciate a good gambling movie and that seemed to be what a title like that spells out. I didn't expect much from it which I think benefited my viewing unlike others who thought it was going to be an action trip. It's very much a low level attempt at film noir with merely average results.

A down and out poker player in Vegas, Jake (George Eads) gets offered an opportunity to make big money from a wealthy gambler (Stephen Lang). Which soon involves his beautiful wife (AnnaLynne McCord) and it's both readily apparent to the viewer and Jake alike that he's caught in the middle of two people and schemes that could get him killed if he doesn't navigate it correct. Complicating matters is Lewis (Ted Levine) - the wealthy gamblers unhinged brother - who shows up looking for answers and Jake's debt to a local loan shark (Steven Seagal).

Here's some notes in case you watched the stylish trailer already ... this isn't an action film. Secondly it's not a legit Steven Seagal movie like some people are talking it up to be. Most of the big faces make brief appearances that were properly shot quickly over a day or two max and the film is trying it's hardest to mask it's low budget. Vinnie Jones plays Seagal's right hand man & muscle and oddly Tia Carrera shows up for one scene only at a casino bar.

George Eads (who most people will know from CSI) spends a lot of the movie slinking around in a fedora. The filmmakers don't flash a big obvious sign to tell you he's dumb, but the fact that he loves to chase gutshot straights playing poker, drives a crappy car and is in hock to at least one loan shark says enough. Easy money is never really easy is it?

Eads is likeable however as the main character and McCord is easy on the eyes even if she isn't able to completely nail the deceptive femme fatale. All and all, 'Gutshot Straight' was a harmless view. It didn't deliver the gambling movie fix I was hoping for and it doesn't have the right credentials to pull off the noir angle it was intending to accomplish though.

GUTSHOT STRAIGHT is a basic, slightly weird noir-thriller that was seemingly cast at random. The eclectic team of stars populating this one is its most unique asset, while everything else is predictable and firmly in the B-grade of cinematic standing. It's good for a lazy evening's repast, but it's got no hope of becoming anyone's new favorite.

The story: A hapless gambler (George Eads) is drawn into a vicious setup that places his life at risk.

In addition to Eads, the ensemble includes AnnaLynne McCord as the femme fatale, Stephen Lang and Ted Irvine as creepy weirdos, Steven Seagal as a mob boss and Vinnie Jones as his enforcer, and Tia Carrere in a three-minute role as a club lady. Despite most of the cast's affiliation with the action genre, there is very little action here, but at the best of times, there's a decent amount of intrigue. Essentially, the plot boils down to a slain millionaire and a case of blackmail, and when the film kicks into gear, the angst experienced by the Eads character is palpable and compelling. Disappointingly, suspense collapses in the form of Seagal's character, who's essentially written as a panacea to the lead character's problems and wrests an unconvincing happy end for the star.

Even before then, the film has trouble maintaining its level of suspense. Giving every impression of trying to stretch their screenplay to meet a required runtime, the filmmakers resort to several time-killing scenes – sometimes it's a forced interaction between characters, and other times it's simply Eads walking around aimlessly. Speaking of which, it doesn't help the movie that the Eads character is a thoroughly unlikable and uninteresting jerk. Most of the other major characters are at least mildly interesting, but whatever time Eads doesn't spend directly imperiled is spent being a cad and a loser. The times that the film does get interesting are due to the hard work of the story, not of the protagonist.

Among all of the performers whose name got drawn out of a hat to be in here, Seagal is the most curious. It's almost as though his scenes were filmed for another movie, given the abrupt change of tone the film undergoes as soon as he shows up, playing the mafioso persona he's cultivated for the last several years. I almost wish that Seagal were the main character, because even if this didn't actually improve the quality of the film, it at least would have made it shorter. As is, it feels overlong at 85 minutes, and I cannot recommend it to anyone but George Eads die-hards.

Gutshot Straight is a drama. There is no action whatsoever except two brief fist fights.

The problem is when you put Steven Seagal in your movie people expect a bad action film, not a character drama.

George Eads (CSI) makes an untriumphant return to Las Vegas as a low life unlucky gambler who gets in over his head with the wrong people and has to try and get his way out in a story we've seen played out hundreds of times before.

The supporting cast is full of familiar faces including Ted Levine, Stephen Lang, Vinny Jones, and Fiona Douriff which elevate Gutshot Straight a bit higher but ultimately can't save it.

As I said, the story has been done to death and you know where it's going at the halfway mark, the rest of the time is spent just waiting for Eads to get where we already are.

Seagal fans (do any still exist?!) will be disappointed by the big boys cameo role, and others will avoid seeing his name. Honestly I'm not sure who to recommend this to?

I like George Eads. He was entertaining as MacGyver's partner in the reboot. His connection to CSI has given him a lot of experience, so naturally a film set in Las Vegas seems a natural for him.

So why is this movie not rated higher? No explosions. No car chases. No blazing gun battles. Nope. None of that stuff. Just Jack. He wanders from point A to point B, getting along. Sometimes his crappy Volvo starts. He plays cards. He has a few friends. He needs a shave. Sometimes he gets punched in the face. He can take it. He's looking for money. Duffy gets to him. And then life happens.

Supporting characters are pretty strong. Vinnie Jones and Steven Seagal are underworld types that Jack orbits. Steven Lang (the colonel in Avatar) and Ted Levine (Jame Gumb in Silence of the Lambs) are psychopath brothers who unfortunately don't share screen time. Tia Carrera (schwing!) is forgettable as a barfly.

This could have been a more powerful movie if it were a little tighter on the direction. Other than that, it was fun to watch.

There was little content with Seagal on it. The guy from Prison Break and CSI is worse than in those two series. Boring. Ordinary gambling, action, problems. Nothing to see. Not convincing, negative, immoral, disconnected events. Unrealistic how naive characters behave and no tactics, logic, strategy. Just some random sudden naive things happening. Nothing to look forward for. Empty end. No emotions. The main character but also everybody looks tired, disinterested, and evil.