The Poker Club (2008)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Blistering performances.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

All of the good reviews I've seen on here make me think that none of them have read Ed Gorman's book that the movie was adapted from. I think they got the idea and the character's names right, but it stopped right there. The Poker Club was a great book, I don't know why they didn't just keep to the original story and not make it predictable and stupid, like they did. Schaech needs to stick with acting and forget about screen-writing. Glad I just rented this pile of crap and didn't buy it. The whole part of the movie about both Jan and Aaron both having affairs was just pointless. I understand a movie can't be made as detailed as a book, but come on! If your'e going to adapt a movie from a book, at least stick to the story or come up with your own damn idea.

Johnathon Schaech does that thing he does best playing Aaron Tyler, who hosts of a weekly poker game of his old friends. The game is interrupted by the appearance of a burglar, whose death leads everyone into a devastating spiral of treachery and deceit. The film takes some rather surprising liberties with the Ed Gorman novel, but it works on its own level thanks to the sure-handed direction of Tim McCann and the cast. Aside from the always reliable Schaech, I particularly enjoyed Johnny Messner as a cynical former baseball player, now a strip club owner, and Judy Reyes. It was good seeing her outside of her Scrubs. (Not that we see her completely out of her Scrubs, if you know what I mean.) Well worth a look.

I gave this one a 6/10 because of the twists involved. It was a very enjoyable movie, moved along very well, the actors were very good.With all of the trash out on the market now days, its nice to see a good drama that catches your attention and keeps it.I am not much for drama, but this is one I would recommend. I feel it will be one of the best missed movies of 2009.Johnathon Schaech is riveting in this role. I know that most of the critics will give this one a low score just because there are no big names in it, but don't let that miss-lead you... This is a good movie to watch, not a waste of time or money.

I've been a fan of Tim McCann for a long time, an underrated, cult director who always brings a gritty, realistic edge to his films. While this is a more conventional story than the brooding, psychological Runaway, or the insane, disturbing, genre-bending Nowhere Man, the snappy direction and some nice performances elevate this crime drama. A few of the plot developments require a little willing suspension of disbelief, but that's often the case in these 'Hitchcockian' thrillers. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised, and happy to see the charismatic Loren Dean and a good jittery performance by McCann stalwart Michael Risley.