Petite arnaque entre amis

I recently viewed Finder Fee (2001) on Tubi. The storyline follows a man who finds a wallet and brings it home with him on cards night with the boys. He calls a number he finds inside the wallet so the owner can come pick it up. When the owner arrives he asks if he can join the card game. What seems like an innocent night gets intense and possible deadly quick.

Directed by Jeff Probst (Survivor), the film features James Earl Jones (Star Wars), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), Erik Palladino (U-571), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Frances Bay (Happy Gilmore), and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown).

Despite having the necessary elements for success, the film falls flat, with the cast delivering uneven performances-Jones and Lillard stand out while Reynolds is underutilized, and Palladino misses the mark. The storyline has moments of realism, accompanied by good twists, intense sequences, and a standout "bop on the head" moment. The ending, while fitting, solidifies the film as mediocre.

In conclusion, Finder Fee has some compelling elements but falls short of being good. I'd give it a 5.5/10 and suggest watching it once for its unique moments and assembled lol cast.

I thought this movie was fun and interesting, the story is simple, but the modern setting and the idea of the lottery ticket made it attention getting.

For a movie with no great effects and sounds, i could not walk away while it was on....i did not want to miss the ending twist. Yes, the movie is predictable to the point that you new there would be a grab you ending, but I like expecting that and you never know who is at the door.

The characters all had their own querkyness about them that draws you, as we can all relate to one of them. I give this movie two thumbs up and suggest everyone sit down and enjoy a simple yet interesting movie.

The whole scenario is contrived and predictable. This independent feature has a relatively well-known cast who do an adequate job with a one-act play concocted as if it were a two-week writing assignment from James Lipton (and it might have impressed HIM). Unconvincing, unenlightening, turgid little melodrama on modern ethics and greed. Simpleminded stuff.

Jeff Probst tight, unassuming film was a rare find. Saw it on cable, and since this is an indie film, one has to take one's hat to the director for having made the movie.

The question that came to my mind is what would anyone do with the possibility of sudden wealth, one that is achieved by ill gotten means. The question, plays havoc with Tepper, who knows what he has in his possession. His friends have no clue to what's really happening and why is the stranger, Avery, allowed to stay and participate in the card game.

Tepper made a mistake at the beginning of the film when he notifies about his finding. He lives to regret it, but ultimately, his own sense of decency when all goes haywire around him, takes hold of him and he does the right thing, or does he?

The cast was very good. The action seems, at times, like a filmed stage play, but the performances by all save the film from being boring or losing the audience's interest. Erik Palladino is quite good as Tepper, the man with a conscience. Mathew Lillard, as Fish, is never dull. Ryan Reynolds and Dash Mihok round up the quartet of friends that meet for a card game.

James Earl Jones is at times mysterious and a figure of pity because we all know what he must be going through, but then again, he had been playing with the quartet of friends and with the viewer.

Good job by Jeff Probst.

What you'll get with "Finder's Fee" is 100 minutes inside an apartment with four poker buddies, a bus driver who has come to claim his lost wallet (JE Jones), a cop (Forster), and a couple of minutes of Carly Pope and an old lady. This claustrophobic journeyman drama is chock full of unnecessary filler including lots of lame guy talk, an annoying cop who keeps popping up for no apparent reason, and a $6 million lottery ticket. At issues is, of course, who's going to get the six mil? A marginal small screen watch which Tivo gave an unusually high three stars which suckered me into the film, "Finder's Fee" will require some serious dumbing down to avoid taking issue with the many likely possible outcomes in favor of an unlikely outcome contrived for entertainment value. Apparently a failed attempt to be a tight, dialogue intensive, character driven, one set drama (eg: The Big Kahuna, Glengarry Glen Ross, etc.), this flick is couch potato fodder. Turn brain off before viewing. (C+)