Vig

Excellent performance by Peter Falk as a man of good values reduced to making a living as a bookie. He is wealthy in the love he shares with Tyne Daly in a good performance as his loving wife. Tim Hutton plays a useless drunken loser and Ms. Holly gives a fine performance as his loyal wife. Freddie Prinze Jr. gives a posterboy performance for just say no to cocaine.

A wistful tale of a bookie past his prime and too nice to play the debt collector. Peter Falk gives an amazing performance as a small time Boston bookie who's far too reluctant to enforce the tough tactics of his mob boss. The movie starts slow but rewards with a touching tale aided by an inspiring cast. Lauren Holly is convincing as a self-sacrificing waitress wife of her gambler cum alcoholic husband and shows she's no barbie doll. Excellent acting also by Tim Hutton as Holly's irresponsible husband and Tyne Daly as Falk's wife. The dull spot is Freddie Prinze Jr's (who should remain in comedy) one-dimensional role. He was unable to portray well his role as an arrogant self-serving and cowardly young punk.

Vig (or Money Kings) is a story about how the simple way of life can never be the status quo. This is a story about commitment, responsibility, sacrifice and doing what is right. Great movie and a touching tale.

OMG, I love this movie. In the first place, Peter Falk is in it and that makes any movie at least good. Second, there is Tyne Daly... same thing. Two absolutely natural actors who bring up the real estate wherever they are But what really impressed me was Freddie Prinze Jr. He played a character so despicable, I wanted to spit at the screen Anne hope he'd feel it. (I didn't) The only real Boston accent was from Steve Sweeney who after all is a Boston based comic as well as an actor. I lived around those accents so I'm sort of an expert.

The simple story is that Falk is an Irish guy who really is decent but has to make his way in a less than honorable profession. Now he is saddled with a tough punk (Prinze) There's slightly less cursing than a Scorcese flick but not more than a Tarrantino, but this doesn't hurt the story. It makes it just real enough.

Add a couple of Sopranos cast members and it's even more real. Lauren Holly and Timothy Hutton (doing a great Boston accent) as a couple with their own problems. A husband who's a drunk who would steal his wife's check to gamble and a woman who has to deal with him because she loves him, and he's l she's got.

Once again, Frank Vince.t plays his.usual tough guy character who saddled Falk with the punk in the first place.

Not a perfect movie, but a true slice of the underbelly of Boston life and with a "wow" finish.

I can't believe it had problems finding a distributor. There's magic here.

I loved every moment of the movie. The plot and the characters were believable. Peter Falk, Tyne Daly, and Lauren Holly were great as usual. Lauren Holly's character's sacrifice for her worthless husband was heartbreaking. I encourage people to watch it.

well i happened upon this movie on VHS at the thrift store. i feel like i just wasted 5 hours of my life, although the movie run time was probably under 2. it opened up with frank vincent and tony cirico a la sopranos, 2 excellent mafia actors... in an "introduction/set-up scene". "wow, this should be interesting..." i thought to myself. it held my attention through ACT I, but "petered" out quickly. freddie prinze seemed miscast for this. but that is a moot point... i'm only writing this review to forwarn potential viewers... do not waste your time. do not be swindled in by the cast names. it is a waste of a cast. lauren holly is excellent in her role in and of itself - i'll say at least that. But Bottom Line: there's no point dissecting the misgivings in plot, premise, plausibility and aesthetics... it's just a bad movie.