By Geno McGahee
I am a big fan of Texas Hold’em and most films that concern the game will attract my interest. ROUNDERS was released, and it featured Matt Damon as “Mike McDermott” and Edward Norton as his screwed up buddy, “Lester Murphy.” Mike was the king of the game until he lost it all to Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), leading to a poker free life. When Lester is released from prison, he is slowly drawn back into it.
The movie premiere was in 1998 and the reception was very good. McDermott is an honest player, winning his money through his ability to read the opponents. The changes in demeanor are triggers, but Murphy is not cut out of the same cloth. Murphy is a cheat and wants the sure bet, typically dealing from the bottom of the deck and has also been dealing with some very shady characters along the way.
One of the shady characters that he owes money to is planning on killing Lester if he doesn’t produce. McDermott puts his life on the line to save his buddy and they go on an all out spree of high stakes gambling. Other movies about poker have also been successful like All In: The Poker Movie, Finder’s Fee, and Deal. They all surround the game that so many enjoy.
In one of the more memorable scenes, Mike plays the game with a bunch of police officers and is winning, when Lester arrives and starts dealing from the bottom of the deck. One of the officers catches on and the two get the living hell beaten out of them and they are dumped penniless outside of the bar.
McDermott gets another crack at Teddy KGB to save himself and the life of his friend. He also would like the taste of revenge and to rid himself of the terrible memory of that night when he lost it all. It’s a great climax to a great movie.
ROUNDERS is a lot of fun with a great cast. I highly recommend it.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10