Even Money (2006)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Blistering performances.

Kim Basinger gives a wonderful performance here as a gambling addicted woman whose habit threatens to destroy her marriage. She was far better here than her supporting Oscar performance years back for "LA Confidential."Nice to see Ray Liotta get away from his tough guy gangster image, and play of all things a college professor fed up with his wife's propensity to gamble.The film shows what gambling can do and ultimately it ties the entire cast of several people addicted to it, to a once in a life-time way to make a lot of money to see it only fall flat.Forest Whitaker plays a gambler shaving points and forced to get his younger brother to throw a major basketball game. Whitaker, though, is his usual self. He acts often as if he is in pain.Danny DeVito does what he likes best in this film- the ability to con people. He is off the wall here, but gives a good performance as the shrewd person.This story is basically about people trying to stay afloat despite their gambling addictions.

I like the political undertones of this movie. But that's about it really i would end my commentary here but IMDb would not allow me to cut so short. Some good acting I guess, but the movie really does not have that much to offer cinema as such. always a pleasure to see these actors, in this case not at the most convincing, none of them.Its a very spoon fed movie, any fool will get it. Its like an idiots guide to the concept so many times portrayed and the world still plays along. Cheesy bits like death with the mobile in the dude's hand and Danny DeVito hanging at the end you can see that he is still alive, he doesn't look dead at all. I found the idea of the book on Abraham the magician very inspiring. The ending of the whole movie though is oh so very predictable from the very beginning.

You can sit in a University and listen to dry lectures from Psychology profs, or you can watch a great movie like this and understand human nature and desire more than you ever imagined.Yes, we all want more, but most are not willing to make the commitment necessary to get it, and some cannot live with the consequences of failure. Who was it that said, "If you put all you own on one roll of the dice, and lose, and start over, you will be a man." That's why so many people stay married when they shouldn't - they can't face starting over.This film had more life lessons that you can imagine and some damn fine actors to teach and entertain us.Kim Basinger was magnificent as a struggling writer who falls into a gambling addiction. She really gets pathetic as she falls deeper in debt. Danny DeVito was also great as someone who life passed by and was now picking up crumbs. When faced with total loss, he took the coward's way out. Forest Whitaker gave an excellent performance as someone living on his brother's (Nick Cannon) ability. Tim Roth as Victor, the criminal, was dead on. I also enjoyed Ray Liotta and Carla Gugino, and thought Carson Brown was amazing.Funniest Line: "Teenagers...they are God's way of punishing us for having sex."

I have never reviewed a film on this site before but after reading the one above felt compelled to do so. I too saw this film at a festival just last week and cannot believe that we are talking about the same one.At its best, this film is a bad TV movie. It is one of only 3 films I have even walked out of. I will be surprised if it ever reaches the big screen or even DVD release.The script is unbelievable, the acting bad, the plot rubbish and to top it all off Kesley Grammar has a prosthetic nose and chin - and done really badly!! Why?? Probably so you don't just see him as Fraser Crane? The cast list is very impressive (in fact the reason I went to see it) but no one gets the chance to shine as the script is so bad.Avoid at all costs