Written by: David Levien & Brian Koppelman
Starring: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Famke Janssen, Gretchen Mol
Rating: [3/5]
As much as we may try we cannot run away from an area where would find the most success and enjoy. It comes as part of living life to the fullest, which gets hampered in attempts to shy away from what makes us tick, even if it involves one of the more harmful vices out there. Something the protagonist of Rounders faces firsthand in his attempt to make moves away from gambling while still finding a way right back to it.
After losing thousands of dollars in one hand of poker, Mike (Matt Damon) swore off the practice for his own good, which he manages to honor until his friend Worm (Edward Norton) gets out of prison. Trying to get out of his debt, Worm convinces Mike to get him set up leading Mike to get back on the poker table where the stakes on the line rise above the monetary pot in the middle.
Films centered on poker that manage to film the scenes well bring such a level of entertainment because of the strategy involved in the game. Players can only truly operate the card they are literally dealt but the game remains about more than just cards where reading one’s opponent matters the most. One can limit what they can pull in with a good hand if they cannot hide it until delivering the final blow. It works the other way around as well where bluffing serves as an art form in a way to win a hand with a terrible set of cards held. Rounders joins the league of films capturing this in such a compelling way, especially when the lives of the characters involved are at risk.
Mike’s journey from beginning to end contains a twinge of sadness in it on both sides of the spectrum. When swearing off poker because of the damage it can do to one’s bank account and psyche, he does not reach his happiest because he gives up something incredibly important to him. By diving deep back into it he risks breaking the support system that helped him when he reached rock bottom because of his gambling hole. Therefore, this feature can work with two readings depending on how one looks at the story and their relationship with gambling. Either Mike succumbs to one of the more dangerous vices out there or he finally lets go of a future he has no interest in attaining and goes back to what he loves the most. A Rorschach test of sorts.
Getting him back into the life of poker, Mike deals with Worm and the relationship they build certainly engages in some dependency on the latter’s part. Again, depending on how one read’s the film, Worm serves the role of either the one bringing back into this life of debauchery or the one unlocking the love Mike should have never left behind. Worm works as the catalyst in this feature and the scenes held between him and Mike make for some captivating moments. Not only with the desperation he faces because of his gambling debts but Norton’s brilliant way of portraying such a conniving and sad character. He weasels his way back and demonstrates a level of cowardice that should worry anyone he ever encounters. For better or worse he sets everything off in this feature and we can certainly thank him for that.
On top of delivering some exhilarating poker scenes, this feature also shows the dangerous game of having someone stake a player. Sure, the person gets an injection of capital they can utilize to their advantage to build an even bigger purse, but when losing it, this practice opens up a new level of indentured servitude made worse depending on who owns the debt. This proves terribly important as the feature moves along because it impacts the decisions of these characters and how their past actions inform what they must do in the future. It could lead one to a situation where Mike needs to face off against a guy nicknamed “KGB” in a game where if he loses all of his winnings he could lose his life. Going out to a character portrayed by John Malkovich giving one of the worst Russian accents one could think of certainly does not have a fairytale tune to it, that’s for sure.
An incredibly entertaining and intriguing look into the life of a man ready to take a big swing in his life, Rounders shows the major upside and the dark underbelly of engaging in poker matches with such high stakes. In this feature, we get a vintage 90s Matt Damon performance where he probably delivered his best work. Everything surrounds what occurs on that poker table, which continues to raise the stakes for all of the characters involved. Certainly, an easy one to recommend to anyone who enjoys poker but also a tense and enjoyable feature film.
Films with Josh 
