had potential, but falls short of expectations

Rating: 6/10 (21 February 2006)

Don't get me wrong, "Two For The Money" had all the potential to be a great sports classic, but sadly, this film doesn't meet that potential. "Money" is great for about 45 minutes to an hour, but, like so many other films this year (Lords of Dogtown), it falls short, unable to contain us as an audience, like the real great films of 2005 (Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Crash).
Brandon Lang (Matthew McConaughey) was the man in college football, the best quarterback in college, until he suffered a career ending injury. Since then, Brandon has been living as a sort of aid to a sports better, giving them advice on who to bet for in the coming games or events (since I'm 17, please forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject). In this profession, like football, Brandon has become one of the best...except no one knows it...except Walter Abrams (film legend Al Pacino), who has made millions upon millions of dollars because of his betting hot-line. He invites Brandon to come work for him, where he sees the dough come in at an astonishing rate, an unlimited supply of women and cigars, and a lifestyle that one would kill for. Basically, he's become a playboy because of his ability to predict the outcomes of sports events. But, just when he's getting good, Brandon begins to slack off at work, resulting in wrong predictions and uneasy situations, not to mention a few explosions from Walter. The film also stars Rene Russo as Walter's wife.
When Brandon starts to slack, the film loses it's edge. During the first half, you can't help but grin at how cool Brandon is, and McConaughey does a great job showing this. Don't get me wrong, this is one of the most well-acted movies of the year, but not even one of film's greatest stars and People Magazine's Man of the Year 2005 can save this film from nearly falling flat on its face. The film just isn't fun after Brandon's tumble begins, and that is the main fault. The film strays away from the theme, and goes on into dramatic extra-marital affairs and personal struggles, which is not the point of the movie. One thing the second half does do better than the first half is showing how serious and potentially catastrophic the world of organized gambling can be. Unfortunately, since the movie is rated 'R', and intended for that demographic, the lesson it is trying to teach is pointless, because 90% of the film's audience is people who remember Scarface and the Godfather movies, along with fans of Rene Russo's work. These people are old enough to know how dangerous gambling can be. This film probably would have gotten better reviews and would have expressed it's message better had it been rated 'PG-13'.
"Two For The Money" is a film that will please the fans of the genre of sports, but will not truly satisfy dedicated fans of Al Pacino's work, like myself. This is one of Matthew McConaughey's best performances to date, showing that he can get away from the romantic comedy genre a little more than before (he was only average in "Reign of Fire"). Rene Russo is also a nice addition for what screen time she has. While the actors succeed, the direction and writing fall for half of this picture, and it's a rent at best.
6/10 --spy