seen september 13 , 1998 at 4 p .
m at rotterdam square mall cinema 6 , theater # 2 , with chris wessell for free using my sony / loews critic 's pass .
[ theater rating :
* * 1/2 : good seats , average sound , picture unstable ] " rounders " is exactly the kind of movie parents do n't want their kids to see .
it 's not that it 's a drunken orgy of sex and violence , but
because it 's a film that flat - out says you can make a career out of gambling .
and to take make things " worse
" it proves this through its original , fascinating story .
there have been countless crime films both past and present that evoke the " noir " mood , that is , the dark , shady atmosphere where the vices of the world become more fascinating on screen than they would in real life .
this film starts off in the tradiational noir style , introducing us to the underworld of modern gambling where the stakes are high and so is the price for losing .
matt damon stars as mike mcdermott , a 20-something law student in present - day new york city who tells us how the game of poker is really played .
damon narrates throughout the film , but the entire opening scene is voiced - over so perfectly to completely and totally define the setting .
mike 's about to go up against teddy kgb ( malkovich ) , a russian gangster who looks like a serial killer .
but then again , he practically is one and the film does everything to convey that sense - the look in his eyes , his slow movements , his intricate mannerisms - all combined with the classic noir cinematography of isolated brightness within the darkness of the underworld ( literally ) .
damon in the flesh might seem a little out of place with his expensive clothes and perfectly - groomed features , but his narration is what brings it all together .
he never sounds like he 's reading from a script , nor that he 's trying to embellish anything ,
it just comes natural to him .
the screenwriters use the right words and phrases to describe the mood , from the smell of the air , to the logic involved in reading the other guys ' faces and cards , and all without sounding remotely trite .
immediately we get the sense that poker is n't for gamblers , but for near- geniuses with nerves of steel .
the game is a quiet war , with strategies just as complex and the same sense of honor among the soldiers .
the gangsters mike plays against are the same ones that might kill someone for scratching their car , but when it comes to the game of poker , all respect is due to the winner because he is truly the better man .
the film does an excellent job in establishing its atmosphere during the first act .
it concentrates so much in this aspect that the background and the progression of the story stumble a bit .
we learn only a little about mike , both past and present .
presently we know he has a girlfriend named jo ( gretchen mol ) who he constantly argues with over his gambling .
they go through a few break - up / make - up cycles until mike 's childhood pal and fellow rounder " worm " ( norton ) is released from prison .
it 's not at all surprising worm owes thousand of dollars to the mob , but what is surprising is how the film is able to take such a predictable element and execute it the way it does .
technically , the plot is n't unlike many children 's sitcoms in which the " good " kid 's " bad " friend gets the good kid in trouble and yet the good kid remains friends with the bad kid .
what this film does is use a different medium to tell that story .
mike and worm have been in over their heads their entire lives , but both share a passion for out - thinking the other player who is trying to do the same to them .
where as worm prefers to go the sleazy route of cheating ( hence his jail time ) , mike always takes the cards he 's dealt and works with them .
sometimes they pay off ( i .
e .
his ability to pay his way through law school on his gambling money ) , but
other times they do n't (
i .
e .
the fact he takes himself out of the game and works a steady job after dropping $ 30 , 000 on a single hand ) .
once things start happening the film is able to expand and develop its plot into an intricate web of detail and mood .
mike and worm bob and weave through all kinds of games at all kinds of places , from socialites ' mansions , to taking the tourists at atlantic city , to outwitting the gangsters that control it all .
everything they come into contact with is a big poker game in that everything 's a battle against the cards destiny deals .
one scene demonstrates this perfectly in which mike is told by a judge ( martin landou , in a perfectly cast and performed role ) that destiny is everything and yet nothing at the same time .
matt 's good at gambling
but he 's also got potential to be a great lawyer .
he could go professional as either , but with one he could lose everything or win big , but with the other there 's stability but not much risk involved .
can someone who 's gambled his entire life really cash in his chips and leave ?
if the film had been just a subtle lesson in poker - playing , then the ending is our test .
everything is told from mike 's perspective , but we 're finally able to recognize some things on our own .
this makes the final , against - all- odds showdown seem like just that .
it works just like the game it revolves around - showing us some of the cards , but still evokes the element of the unknown , and the consequences thereof .
what separates " rounders " from most other films about games is the fact the challenge and the skills are more important than winning in the end .
is able to expand and develop its plot into an intricate web of detail and mood all without sounding remotely trite does an excellent job the film is able to take such a predictable element and execute it the way it does it just comes natural to him his narration is what brings it all together use the right words and phrases to describe the mood original , fascinating story