O Vencedor

Alex Cox will always be remembered for the astonishing one-two punch of 'Repo Man' and 'Sid and Nancy', yet his finest achievement was the daring, career-destroying 'Walker'. As if being exiled from the studio system wasn't enough, Cox then made the diabolically awful 'Straight To Hell' to seemingly bury any credibility he may have had left. 'The Winner' represents yet another oddity from Cox's years in the indie wilderness, but perhaps has the highest curio factor due to its eyebrow-raising ensemble cast. Yet what makes 'The Winner', ultimately, a loser, is in all fairness not attributed to Cox but rather its unimpressive, derivative, post-Tarantino screenplay (allegedly adapted from a play, presumably off-off-off-off Broadway). Cox and the cast struggle with its uneven tone and, despite Frank Whaley scoring in a hilariously slimy role, the unfunny nature of the script is barely able to justify the film's incessant stylistic zaniness. While it does work in small doses (an effective opening and a memorably odd ending), it simply isn't enjoyable enough to even warrant minor cult status. That said, it is at least a slight cut above the other interminable 'Pulp Fiction' clones that plagued the mid-to-late nineties. But what sort of endorsement is that?

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?

Thought quite possibly this film would be entertaining due to the fact that it was dealing with Las Vegas. After viewing a few scenes, I was completely disappointed in the story. However, the poor actors all did a great job despite their horrible scrips and story line. Rebecca DeMornay,(Louise) played a gal who has been around the block quite a few times and decides to get her eyes and claws into a certain guy who bets only on Sunday's at a casino and always wins. As soon as the guy wins large amounts of money, like $150,000. he gives all the money away and keeps about Five Thousand dollars so he can play next Sunday. Saverio Guerra,"Becker" TV Series '98-03(as Bob) makes a few brief appearances and acts just the same way he did in Becker. This is a big waste of time and not worth waisting your time.

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.