Money Play$

This little crime caper of lost souls and found money is an entertaining twist to a familiar plot. Both Scheider and Braga caught my attention and I thorougly enjoyed watching them team up and manipulate events in a new way. Even Las Vegas looked good.

I had hopes, but those hopes were coloured by what "TV movie" means in 2020, not what it meant in 1998: No budget, no profanity, no nudity, every possible mobster (and car-in-the-desert) cliche, and a lame, hapless "caper". Oh - and a soundtrack so bad it would embarrass a Lifetime movie. If you want to see what Scheider could do as a good guy facing down some *real* bad guys, go with "52 Pickup". Don't waste your time with this dreck.

This is a decent little movie especially if you like gambling at all. Roy plays his usual good lean role and his CO star does a credible job as the Hooker with the good heart a little predictable but it is a good story it's a good story.

Roy Scheider and Sonia Braga are believable as ordinary people thrust into an extraordinary situation. As partners, they use $560k of mob money, to take a shot at rolling the dice one time for a big score. Of course eventually the wise guys piece things together, and want their cash back with interest. There is real character development here, along with a strong sympathy factor for Scheider and Braga. I liked this film a lot more than I should have, considering that it is a "Showtime" cheapie. Elizabeth Lund and Jon Polito do a good job of rounding out this well acted movie that is definitely one to watch. - MERK