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Phillip Seymour Hoffman is without a doubt the best independent actor making movies today. I first fell for him when he played the Jaw Dropping low life shady character Allen in Happiness, and since then his career has only gotten brighter (or darker?). He personifies "creep", and in roles like the mattress man from Punch Drunk Love, I find myself wanting to reach through the screen and strangle him. Of course, he does it again in Owning Mahoney as Dan Mahoney a young assistant manager at a Toronto bank who uses other people's funds to repay debts and feed his gambling addiction. My dissatisfaction rises as he becomes more audacious and gambles away more and more of his misbegotten cash. You will find yourself yelling "QUIT NOW!!" at the screen, but his only reply will be "but i just got here". Dan Mahoney is possibly the simplest and most complex character I've seen Hoffman tackle. Is it the love of gambling that drives him to play $70,000 hands?? No, his facial expressions don't change from when he's up 9 million, to when he's gambled away his last $500 chip. His addiction has no purpose, it's almost as if he is doing this simply to survive. Hoffman wasn't the only gem in this picture, he was coupled with Minnie Driver who was almost unidentifiable with her dark rimmed glasses and bleached blonde hair (and not a bad Canadian accent eh?). It's too bad this film will probably only be seen by true independent film/Hoffman fans because it's intense and gripping. A slice of someone's life destroyed by addiction, this is a must see!

"Owning Mahoney" tells of a bank account manager and pathological gambler who lives from one wager to the next on a collision course with oblivion. A powerful and compelling tour de force by Hoffman - who once again proves he ranks among the actor's actors with the likes of Brando, Pacino, and Nicholson - this engrossing film claims to be a true story of a man, money, and an obsession of remarkable proportions. A worthwhile watch for Hoffman fans and anyone into character studies, particularly of obsessive-compulsive types. All others stay away. (A-)

`Some folks believe that everyone has a public life, a private life and a secret life.'

These are the opening words of `Owning Mahowny,' a fascinating real-life tale of a compulsive gambler whose life falls to pieces when he begins embezzling funds from the bank where he works in order to feed his obsession. Dan Mahowny's `secret life' became public in the early 1980's when he was finally arrested and convicted on charges of bank theft. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who has made a career out of playing sad sack, tormented souls, gives one of his richest performances to date as Mahowny, a mild-mannered man caught in the grip of that compulsive sickness known as gambling addiction. Minnie Driver plays his devoted girlfriend who loves Dan dearly but who cannot bear to stand by and watch helplessly as he slowly but inexorably destroys his life.

If the film were only about Mahowny's gambling problem, it would be no different from countless TV movies made on the same subject. What sets this film apart is the way in which writer Maurice Chauvet (working off the original novel by Gary Stephen Ross) and director Richard Kwietniowski make the background of the story as compelling as the foreground. The astute, observant script focuses as much on the ins and outs of the casino and gambling worlds as it does on the personal travails of its main character. Particularly intriguing is the way in which high rollers are followed and coddled by the casino owners using both high tech equipment like cameras and monitors as well as plain old-fashioned flattery, obsequiousness and deceit. John Hurt, in a brilliant performance, plays a smarmy casino operator in Atlantic City who will stop at nothing to make Mahowny feel at home in his establishment – all for the purpose of having his new found `friend' gamble away a fortune at his tables, of course. The film is, in fact, filled with interesting side characters, including a sympathetic bellhop, who befriends Dan and who tries to convince him to leave the casino he happens to work for; several of the petty loan sharks with whom Dan finds himself inextricably connected; and a whole host of law enforcement officials whose job it is to bring Dan in on grand theft felony charges.

The filmmakers have taken a laid back, subtle approach to their material. They allow the story to develop slowly, offering us the chance to get to know Mahowny and his world at an unhurried, leisurely pace. Since Mahowny is, himself, such a secretive, quiet character, it is appropriate that the film that bears his name should also reflect that quality of muted sadness in its pacing and tone. Towards the end, however, once the authorities begin moving in for the kill and we sense the inevitable grip of Fate tightening around this strangely likable character, the film becomes both highly suspenseful and immensely moving at one and the same time. What's fascinating is that we are always one step ahead of Mahowny in our understanding of what is about to befall him. As in all great tragedies, it is the Cassandra-like burden placed on the audience – that of being able to see the future with no hope of doing anything to prevent it – that gives the film its air of pervasive sadness.

`Owning Mahowny' is a beautifully written, directed and acted film that opens up for us a strange and fascinating world.

This is based on a real story that happened in 1980-82. Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is the youngest assistant manager of a major bank branch at the heart of Toronto's financial district. Little does anybody know, he has a gambling addiction. He uses his position to steal millions to feed his gambling habit.

This is all about Philip Seymour Hoffman. He is amazing. He isn't just a great co-star. He is the lead. He is the star. And he is compelling. He's been great as the brilliant actor's actor for many years acting beside some of the greats in some great movies. Two years after this, he will win best actor for his own great movie 'Capote'.

The style is strip down. PSH has those 80s glasses. Mostly there is his desperation and his obsession. Minnie Driver goes blonde and I don't really recognize her. Maury Chaykin is great as the bookie.

Interesting examination of a young Canadian bank executive who embezzles money to feed an insatiable gambling addiction.

Hoffman gives a yeoman's if not overly subdued performance as Dan Mahowny, and the film for the most part is a better than average watch. Strangely, the film plops you right into chapter 5 or thereabouts, and your left wondering who is this guy for the entire film. The motivation for Mahowny's odd behavior is never really broached. The film starts with Mahowny sports betting and playing for the usual small stakes, he then mysteriously falls off a cliff in his wagering amounts and we're supposed to swallow that it all stemmed off of a 10000 obligation? Then we're off to the races as he becomes this casino legend. Needed a little more development, and thats being kind.

The direction is clever, in particular the ironic use of scenes showing the symbiotic relationship of bank and casino. On the nay side, the small budget generates the expected technical issues, most glaringly, never once providing camera-work that remotely convinces you he's in either Vegas or Atlantic City. The casino interior shots aren't properly done to eliminate the claustrophobic soundstagitis, and the only exterior shots found in the entire movie, are blatantly in Canada. As example, there is a scene where Mahowny is contemplating life while standing on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean. Its so obviously a lake or even pond and not the ocean, that its borderline embarrassing. Finally John Hurt, who i really like, is given liberty to really ham it overboard. But believe it or not, I genuinely like this film, and do recommend it.

PS/ I don't care that what anyone says, the woman who hits him up for 100 bux in the casino is Sandra Oh.

For anyone in Dan Mahowny's life who cared to look, all the signs were there. Bad hair, disheveled clothes, no overcoat in Toronto in winter, empty apartment and a '74 Dodge Dart. He should have had more but did not. He had everything the addict needs - a source of income, a source of his addiction and several "enablers" in his life.

Owning Mahowny tells the famous and true story of a mid-level bank manager at the CIBC, who in the early 80s, stole $10,000,000 from several high profile clients, and a few non-existent ones. All the funds were lost in Atlantic City and Vegas. But this is not a con movie, it is far more clever than that. It is a detailed and devastating study of a gambling addiction.

We all know that Mahowny will get caught, but how and when. He has no record, is not a criminal and he is well respected at his job. What this film does almost better than anything is reveals how the day to day events allows the protagonist to prolong his inevitable collapse.

As the film progresses, Mahowny becomes more and more paranoid. Every open file, every meeting and every phone call represents his potential downfall. Note how he maneuvers through key meetings and audits. But he is not afraid of getting caught, he is afraid of losing his lifeline to the thrill of the bet.

You just simply cannot say enough about both the leads in this film. Philip Seymour Hoffman is spot on perfect as Mahowny, focused on the next hand, rarely raising his eyes to the camera. John Hurt is also wonderful as the malevolent casino boss who is all too happy to take Mahowny's money and not care where it came from.

Had this film received better backing, Hoffman may well have received his first Oscar nomination. As it stands, you will have to seek this out on DVD. It is an edgy and well directed study in to the mind of an addict. Not perfect, but I loved this from start to finish. ***1/2 out of ****.

Canadian movies- especially those made with taxpayers' dollars- have always bored me. But "Owning Mahowny" broke the mold, and is a mesmerizing exception to the rule. I am amazed this film did not meet with more popular success, given the critical acclaim it received.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of the bland and somewhat shabby banker who embezzled 10 million to support his gambling addiction is spot on. I can say this with some authority since I knew "Mahowny" personally back in high school, where his predilection for the racetrack and for fleecing junior students at cards was legendary. The seedy clothes, the clunker car, and the repressed demeanor all ring true. Kudos to Hoffman for a riveting performance.

Gambling movies (The Cincinnati Kid, The Hustler) have by and large ignored the addiction angle. This film delivers- in spades.

The movie ("based" on a true story - how much of it is real, and how much is invented?) portrays the descent of Dan Mahoney, an obsessive gambler who, like all of us, has "a public life, a private life, and a secret life".

Dan's public life is that of a mid-level account manager at a Toronto bank, which gives him access to money he skims and shuffles around from his clients, in order to feed his gambling habit. In his private life, he is dating a rather simple-minded fellow bank employee. And in his secret life, Dan jets off to Atlantic City and Las Vegas, wagering and eventually always losing millions of dollars. His addiction is such that his secret life eventually subsumes his other lives, although (according to the epilogue) not fatally.

One of the problems with this movie is the persona of Dan Mahoney. Evidently, remaining true to the original, Dan is an introverted, uncommunicative, shy, tradition-oriented Canadian of reserved British nature. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a very good performance as Dan, conveying his emotion in a very subtle, controlled manner. However, it does not create much opportunity for exploring Dan's inner thoughts and motivations - these must be surmised by the viewer. Additionally, the director chose to tell Dan's story in a very straightforward manner, rather than employing some of the more powerful tools of cinema (symbolism, flashbacks, alternative viewpoints, etc.). Yes, there is a scene of Dan witnessing a high-roller that is later repeated, this time with Dan as the high roller, and at another point Dan thinks he sees himself watching him gamble, but for the most part the film proceeds in a documentary-like fashion.

The best performance is delivered by John Hurt, as a Satan-like Atlantic City casino boss. However, Minnie Driver's character of Belinda, Dan's girlfriend, is one-dimensional and is never developed.

The film does trigger thoughts about the nature of addiction (from both sides, the addict and the enabler), as well as what people do when they are in a situation well over their heads. In the case of someone like Dan Mahoney, they just cannot stop. Hopefully, this will inspire the rest of us to exercise more self-control, before the police are forced to act.

In "Owning Mahowny," Philip Seymour Hoffman proved before his Oscar win to be one of the great actors of his generation, playing a compulsive gambler who embezzles millions from his employer, a bank. Dracula is in charge of the blood bank.

Mahowny is a fascinating character. He's a cheap slob who drives an old car. Though he loves his girlfriend (Minnie Driver), he hasn't confided in her. In fact, he lies to her, as he lies to everyone. His god is gambling -- not money, just gambling. As Frank Perlin (Maury Chaykin), one of the guys who takes his action attests, "He just wants to have the money to lose."

We watch Mahowny get in deeper and deeper, creating false loans and stealing from his clients. He becomes a VIP at an Atlantic City casino where he is given the best of everything and offered even more, but he's not going to do anything that takes away from his time at the tables. Unbeknownst to him, the Feds are interested in some of his associates and become curious about this Mahowny guy, thinking he may be in on a drug racket.

This movie will keep you hooked throughout. Hoffman is brilliant and even sports a Canadian accent (the film was made there and the real Mahowny is Canadian). Hoffman comes from my home town, and as we are close to Canada, he is familiar with the accent.

The rest of the acting is uniformly good, with the standout being the remarkable John Hurt as the casino owner who wants Mahowny to keep throwing money at the casino and will do anything to keep him there. The insight into the gambling world is amazing, and may keep you away from the tables the next time you're in Vegas or Atlantic City.

"Owning Mahowny" is a hard film for me to love...much like "Catch Me If You Can" or "The Polka King". This is because all three are true stories about sociopaths who spent much of their lives hurting, stealing and lying to people...and making a movie about them just gives these awful people more notoriety. I certainly would hope they wouldn't benefit financially from the films and I hate to imagine the films making them heroes in the eyes of the viewers....but I fear both are indeed the case for these god-awful people.

This story is about a man who committed the largest single person bank fraud in Canadian history...$10,000,000. The film begins with Mahowny* (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) deeply in dept for gambling...and he soon makes it worse by trying to gamble his way out of the problem. To do this, he is playing fast and loose with the bank's customers as well as creating dummy corporations to help hide this!

A part of the story is about the culpability of the casinos in the embezzlement. The film contends that in many ways the casinos (embodied in the form of a sleazy guy played by John Hurt) should have known that a man making a very modest salary could NOT legally be gambling millions. And, they profited by his repeated trips to Vegas and Atlantic City...so there wasn't a lot of incentive to get him to stop or to alert authorities.

The film features some nice acting and is an understated sort of film...with little glitz despite the locations involved. There also are no big surprises...as the IMDB page talks all about the embezzlement and the film never leads up to it...he's already spending money he doesn't have when the story begins. So there's little in the way of suspense...and the ending was incredibly anti-climactic. Despite this, it's interesting and worth seeing...though far from a must-see.

By the way, the DVD does NOT have closed captions for the hearing impaired.

"Owning Mahowney", while perhaps true to real-life story it is based on, was not that interesting a film. I didn't feel any reason to care about Hoffman's character (Mahowney) or even Driver's character that much. The one interesting angle about the film is that it presents casinos with as little glitz or luxury as I've ever seen in a film. The drama is fairly subtle and by the end, I was hoping that Mahowney would get caught, just to end the film. Ultimately, I was bored by this film. If you like movies about gambling, I think you will be disappointed. If you like movies where Minnie Driver is wearing a bad wig, you might like it.

This film was a bit painful for me to watch, as I had my own gambling problem several decades ago. However, the brilliant performance of Philip Seymour Hoffman and a sound supporting cast make this a first-rate cautionary tale.

Minnie Driver is highly reminiscent of a young Linda Black of North Bergen several decades ago. One can lose a lot more than money from a gambling habit. My habit was nickel and dime stuff compared to this film, but the effect, other than the jail time, was just as bad, if not worse. Lost my best friend, my girlfriend and my life in New Jersey; had to run to New York City. This is what can happen when you are out of control in betting. Too bad I didnt see this film before I nosedived for a few years. Fortunately, like Hoffman, I recovered, but the scars still remain from the years I was out of control. Catch this film before you think for a second that you can beat the house; because you can never beat the house.

This is a well done true story movie about gambling addiction the fraud on the Canadian bank is secondary. It's not theatrical in the depiction of the gambling and it's quite real life.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman gives an understated performance. Sometimes the mumbling can't be understood but the addiction is convincing. It's so understated that it's more believable and painful to watch him give everything back to the house. Minnie Driver with her strange wig is quite a sympathetic girlfriend. The Faustian casino manager played well by John Hurt.

Overall worth a watch.

Based on the true story of a Canadian bank executive who defrauded millions from his bank through fake loans and cheating clients, 'Owning Mahoney' spins a fascinating portrait of a man smart enough to get ahead in life but constricted by a gambling addiction. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is stunning to watch as the hapless protagonist, so high on the thrill of betting that whenever he has a win, all he wants to do is gamble it away. Even more impressive is John Hurt as unscrupulous Atlantic City casino manager, torn between pitying Hoffman's addiction and admiring his tenacity. While some of the actions that Hurt takes to ensure that Hoffman keeps gambling at his establishment are unethical, Hurt often hesitates, pauses and considers; like Hoffman, he is addicted, only his addiction is to pocketing Hoffman's winnings, and Hurt gives us enough of a glimpse beneath his exterior to show that he has qualms about exploiting Hoffman's endless funds. Some of the technical details here are a little hard to keep track of and Minnie Driver has a very underwritten character as Hoffman's girlfriend who sticks by him thick and thin despite him never once acting romantic; generally speaking though, this is a pretty compelling film when one considers how obvious the film's messages are about the futility of gambling ('house always wins') and the dangers of fraud.

Every once and while, film buffs get a treat. Amongst all the crash and burn violence and volume of the summer blockbusters, every once and while, a movie will sneak under the radar and capture our attention.

Owning Mahowny didn't get much of a theatrical release. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, the film never played on more than 24 screens and earned only a fraction of the minute $10 million budget. But here is your chance to find it in the lonely ‘O' section of your local DVD retailer.

The movie is based on the true story of Dan Mahowny (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a mid-level bank official that has a gambling problem. Dan will bet on almost anything and his addiction would result in a financial hole not easily climbed. It is here that Dan begins to use his title at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to fraudulently steal money for week-end trips to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Over his eighteen month spree, Dan was able to gamble over $10 million of the banks dollars.

The film follows Dan through the initial stages of his addiction and careful details his interaction with Vegas hotel staff, co-workers and his girlfriend as he feeds his desires while keeping his compulsion secret. As he falls deeper into the casino's pockets, the hotel owners fall deeper in love with his freelance style, and Dan is soon treated with celebrity like status upon every visit. However, eventually, the police begin to piece the missing money together and the result is the uncovering of the biggest one-man bank fraud to ever hit the Canadian borders.

Owning Mahowny is a terrific film largely in part to the incredible acting performance by Hoffman. As Dan Mahowny, Hoffman is able to portray an insatiable gambler who is ignorant to his surroundings when at the card table. His stare at the table and lack of emotional response, either for the good or the bad, is incredibly parlayed by Hoffman's sweat and stature. A scene where Mahowny takes his girlfriend to Vegas but quickly ignores and forgets her once he is in front of a blackjack table is unforgettable.

Owning Mahowny is not without its good supporting cast either, including John Hurt (Alien) as the Casino owner that takes a shine to Mahowny and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) as his girlfriend. Both show us the contrast between someone who doesn't want to know how he does it and loves him for it and the other who can't seem to get to know the man she loves.

Like 1999's Rogue Trader, it is scary to see the loopholes exploited by bank or financial institution employees in these true stories brought to the big screen. It both movies, you see how one man with the access to large amounts of money can easily get over their own head and dig themselves deeper and deeper into a whole, yet they are always thinking they are one bet or one trade away from righting the wrong.

Owning Mahowny was one of the best films of 2003, and should not be missed. Storytelling doesn't get any better than this.

This the probably the fourth time I'm watching this movie.

The movie is about gambling addiction and like "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead", Hoffman plays a "straight" guy that has an addiction that he hides from the world. And yes, after his death, his roles in both movies have more meaning.

This is a great movie. Yet another example of skillfully making a small and low-key movie without being boring.

One of the most difficult things about this movie is that it has extensive scenes of a man sitting in front of a gambling table. It could have been boring in the hands of any other filmmaker, but this is done skillfully here. The combination of great score, acting, editing and cinematography makes it a delight and the movie doesn't bore you even for one minute. This is a great accomplishment and everyone in the crew and cast (Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Hurt) should be credited for that.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is excellent, but you already know that. I said it once and I'll say it again: This actor can take any simple role/character and make it the most interesting in the world. What a talent. What a loss.

John Hurt is also great.

7/10 Excellent

I'm not sure that it was a fantastic movie, but it really sticks with me. I gamble quite a bit too, and I regularly see Mahoney-like behaviours at the casino. The guy next to me the other day started with $200, then went up, in my eyes undeservingly, to about $2500, and finally lost it all in a matter of half an hour. The entire time completely without expression, like a gambler, like Mahoney. No matter what happens to a gambler in the short term, he knows that it is ephemeral. Unfortunately, the ephemeral losses are a bit bigger than the ephemeral wins, and the cumulative loss is what you are stuck with in the end.

I liked the way that Mahoney was so boring. As though the things that make life interesting for the average person and the things that make the average person interesting all pale in his eyes to the passionate communion that he has with the game.

Great story telling, Superb acting, Terrific directing, and beautiful music. PSH is always under playing the role as artfully executed as possible. The mood of the movie made me feel as if I was there in that era. Minnie Driver has grown into a force that any movie would have to contend with. She creates a feeling of empathy with her method of playing a character. Though it is a true story, most of it is so well told, you feel as if it was a story better told in this film. If you are a true movie lover, you will say, "Thank You, God, for a great Movie!". Sit back and get ready for a subtle feast for the senses. John Hurt does the good bad guy role so well and I felt as if the bell hop stole the show. Please bring your popcorn and get ready to enjoy. This is a movie you wish will never end. You want to see what happens next and the irony of real life drama is so well crafted in this movie.

Few films have captured so accurately the true nature of gambling as has Owning Mahowny. First there was Air Bud. Then there was Air Bud 2. And now this, the final installment in the triumvirate of films about dashed dreams and unfortunate morals. Not that these films were all about gambling per se, but that they evoked it in spirit. For just like the act of gambling itself, or indeed, not unlike the Air Bud movies, Owning Mahowny seems enticing at first, that is, when you and your friends are just planning to see it, joking that you might strike big, that this might be the one movie that comes out of nowhere to surprise you, but then from the moment you enter the theatre, every time you give this movie a chance, it's just one bad hand after the other, until eventually you are completely numb to it, and you stop paying attention to your wife, and you start cutting out of work early, and you no longer enjoy anything again in life anymore because all you want is your Owning Mahowny. You must have your Owning Mahowny. "Just let me watch five more minutes," you say, "and I swear it will get good. It's due." Which is a shame really, because the movie just really blows.

In fact, they should have called it Blowing Mahowny, or Owning Baloney, or some reasonable facsimile--only then the ace detective on the trail of Mahowny would not be able to wittily observe that "Mahowny" spells "How many?" when the letters are rearranged and a question mark is inserted, which is a lazy anagram at best as it only requires two permutations. A much better one is "O Man Why?" as in "O man why, o why upon why o man did this movie even get made?" or "O man why didn't I save that $7 for Vegas where I could be far better entertained by an hour and a half at the nickel slots?"

Nothing against Mr. Hoffman, who is one of the finest, most important actors of our day, but this movie has nothing to hold him up. It is not worthy of his talents. The dialogue is forced and hackneyed, never fully deciding if it wants to be moralistic or sympathetic, but always settling on being just plain crappy. The protagonist is never shown to have a single redeeming quality, except possibly in the end, when he tells his girlfriend "I love you too" and kisses her hand, and this is supposed to make up for the fact that she has always come in a strong second to his addiction. Apparently in real life they got married eventually, but the characters in this movie could never have gotten married in more than a postscript, because they were just too ingenuine, and the movie omits any moments that could have explained why on earth they ever got together in the first place.

There was something maniacal about the casino boss who was so inviting to Mahowny but at the same time stood to gain millions of dollars from him and completely ruin him. A better movie would have explored this, but this one was content to revel in his clown-like antics. Elsewhere, the token black floorman and the Italian bookie were an insult to multicultural casting. And what was with the suspicious co-worker at the bank, or even more so, the scruffy cop who tracked Mahowny down? He was clearly a ripoff of Brad Pitt's scruffy cop from Seven, only in that movie, Pitt was chasing someone actually scruff-worthy. No, this movie would have been better suited with a Fedora-clad Tom Hanks in a fake Boston accent. Perhaps these characters were all based on real-life scruffy or ethnic people, but this movie didn't convince me as much.

In the end, on a scale of 100, with 100 being Air Bud 2, I give Owning Mahowny a 20. And sure, maybe 20's good enough for some people--even Mahowny himself. But me, I just want my money back.