Winner Winner, Thinner Dinner

Rating: 6/10 (23 June 2009)

This film has a youthful enthusiasm which is infectious and a young cast that pulls off the infection. It is done Hollywood Flashback style in that it starts after everything happens, goes to back to how it happens and then ends by going back to the beginning.
Overall, sadly, it obviously spent a lot of money in production but tries to simplify things a bit too much. While it is entertaining, it is much too simplified to interest the serious gambler. The appeal here is in telling the story in a light mood, interesting a young audience, and entertaining it. In that sense it succeeds though not on quite the stylish ease that a movie like "The Sting" did. Of course that one was a best picture. This one is not.
AS I have not read the novel, I am not sure what liberties were taken from the true story but my feeling is that the true story here is a better tale than the movie one. That being said, as I put my brain away & look for light fare, this one fills the bill quite nicely. Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, and the rest of the cast do quite fine in going through a not too serious treatment.
I have seen worse, & better films than this one.