But we get the sense from him that he's not happy, he's not using his skills to the finest. The conflict in the movie is whether Damon will choose Mol and an education and a career or choose to pursue his talents as a gambler. What makes Rounders so compelling is how it makes the latter choice seem more appealing than it otherwise might be. He's able to lose himself in the game and test his skills against others. Damon is not playing poker because he's under a compulsion or an addiction, he's playing because he's good at it and can take pleasure in stretching his skills.
Rounders is more than just a great illustration of an important psychological concept, of course.
It features fine performances from Damon and Norton, who is fantastic as the sleazy gambler Worm. Norton seems to have the idea of flow down pat as well, losing his identity and slipping neatly into the skin of whatever character he's playing. Malkovich, on the other hand, delivers a cartoonish performance as Damon's nemesis, who proves that it's a bad idea to play with your food. Rounders is a sharp, classy, intellectual picture, buoyed by an intelligent script, sharp directing, and first-rate performances. Well, that about sums it up for this review.