you do n't have to know poker to like " rounders , " but it might help .
that a great deal of this sharp little drama is set in the back rooms of new york 's cardshark underground astoundingly does n't limit its accessibility , even for those who ca n't tell royal and straight flushes apart .
" rounders " ' success , then , is owed to its proficient cast and intriguing portrayal of a world not many viewers will be familiar with .
the dialogue may be filled with terms that only true players will grasp , but you do n't have to speak the language to understand the words - a statement that pretty much sums up the effectiveness of the whole show .
matt damon , fresh off his " good will hunting " hot streak , is perfect for the role of mike mcdermott , a young law student with a tremendous gift for gambling .
but after losing all of his tuition money in a killer high - stakes match with russian poker aficionado teddy kgb ( john malkovich , deliciously hammy ) , he shifts his focus to scholarly matters , leaving his true area of expertise far , far behind .
things change , however , when mike 's old buddy worm ( edward norton ) re - enters his life - it seems worm , just out of jail , owes a hefty sum to nasty thugs , and is counting on his friend 's superlative skills to help him pay off the debt .
that " rounders " ' story quickly molds itself into a conventional , predictable tale of redemption does n't hinder its potency .
director john dahl , infamous for his neo - noirs " red rock west " and " the last seduction , " gets extremely convincing mileage out of the been - there , done - that plot mechanics by trumping up the relationship between mike and worm .
damon and norton bring so much to their roles that they 'd be worth catching even if " rounders " ultimately folded , but the movie ups its fascinating ante by contrasting their wildly different ways of winning .
any sequence where the two men sit at the table together is an unarguable highlight .
if only the other character interaction was as successful , " rounders " might merit consideration when it comes time to number the year 's best films .
current " it girl
" gretchen mol is sweetly appealing as mike 's girlfriend jo , aware and weary of his seedy past , but her scenes with damon number too few to be very effective .
john turturro 's aging mentor and famke janssen 's tempting siren , both interesting sketches , are hampered by the same limited screen time .
and as a wizened judge , the great martin landau makes memorable a role that 's mostly a plot device
- he 's on hand mostly to sort - of save the day and provide a voice for " rounders " ' moral .
that moral , by the way , is " our destiny chooses us , " and it 's something of a surprise when " rounders " supports this solemn proverb by eschewing the conclusion you might expect ; mike does learn from his mistake , but neither the mistake nor the way he learns from it is what it initially appears to be .
in the end , " rounders " sees gambling as less a mere addiction than a potential art form , but the poker itself is only a metaphor for a much larger picture .
the road to true fulfillment lies within the realization and exercising of your natural passions , the movie espouses , no matter what they might be .
here , low - rent lowlifes like worm just are n't cut out for the cards .
screenwriters david levien and brian koppelman entertain and educate in their quest to vividly render a culture that 's often generalized by movies ; even complete poker neophytes should cross the line from observers to participants when the movie gets to its concluding game scene .
inside every adventurous filmgoer , there is a desire to be taken someplace new and exciting , and
that 's the precise allure of " rounders .
"
it ultimately matters not that a few of our tour guides feel partially - realized or that the journey itself is cluttered with sites we 've seen before , because the final destination is a satisfying one
.
in the end , " rounders " holds a winning hand .
Output: P