Owning Mahowney is the latest film from Richard Kwietniowski, director of the 1997 gay-themed flick Love and Death on Long Island, which starred John Hurt and Jason Priestley.
Based on the true story of a Canadian bank employee who embezzled more than $10 million from his employers to feed his gambling addiction, this is an actors' movie featuring indie stalwart Philip Seymour Hoffman (Happiness) as the gambler and an almost unrecognisable Minnie Driver as his dowdy fiancé.
Unlike Casino and The Cooler, Owning Mahowney explores the subterfuge casinos use to hook and keep gamblers addicted. When the strictly smalltime Mahowney 'borrows' money to pay his gaming debts, he abandons his bookie (an almost fatherly Maury Chaykin) and falls into the traps offered by unscrupulous Atlantic City casino manager (John Hurt). Mahowney goes from wannabe big fish to heavy better but gains nothing from it. For him, as it is for us, the experience is almost surreal, and ultimately fatalistic.
Owning Mahowney is an intelligent film, with emotional resonance, subtle humour and a solid cast performance. ***½/***** stars
Based on the true story of a Canadian bank employee who embezzled more than $10 million from his employers to feed his gambling addiction, this is an actors' movie featuring indie stalwart Philip Seymour Hoffman (Happiness) as the gambler and an almost unrecognisable Minnie Driver as his dowdy fiancé.
Unlike Casino and The Cooler, Owning Mahowney explores the subterfuge casinos use to hook and keep gamblers addicted. When the strictly smalltime Mahowney 'borrows' money to pay his gaming debts, he abandons his bookie (an almost fatherly Maury Chaykin) and falls into the traps offered by unscrupulous Atlantic City casino manager (John Hurt). Mahowney goes from wannabe big fish to heavy better but gains nothing from it. For him, as it is for us, the experience is almost surreal, and ultimately fatalistic.
Owning Mahowney is an intelligent film, with emotional resonance, subtle humour and a solid cast performance. ***½/***** stars