I remember back in the 1990s when Texas Hold 'Em Poker reached its pinnacle of popularity. I was even sucked into watching some matches on TV because I was fascinated by the way the professionals could manipulate a table of opponents and win big. Rounders was probably made when all this was big news, to capitalize on the craze. I think the first problem with the movie was that, despite the popularity of the game at the time, they felt the need to talk down to the audience and play to the people that know next to nothing about poker. There are long stretches of this movie, including 90% of the voice-over, that felt like taking an introductory class on Texas Hold 'Em. I'm sure some audience members would appreciate the help understanding, but for me it felt rudimentary and tedious.
That being said, I was still excited by the world they built in Rounders. It is intriguing to see how these guys manage to find games where they can make money, and it is also interesting to learn some of the dangers that await those who play for high stakes. Matt Damon plays a relatable character, and even though his girlfriend is always in the right, you still can appreciate that there's a logic in him pursuing something that he excels at as much as poker. Edward Norton is always perfect to play the unreliable sleazebag, and he delivers that in spades here. It's almost to an extreme where you can't comprehend how Damon was ever friends with this guy, but there's still something likable under all the irresponsible nonsense. John Malkovich, on the other hand, did go to the extreme with his performance and it's almost laughably ridiculous.
I had a problem with how much of Rounders is made up of our main character always struggling. It's hard to take after a while when it seems that everything is falling apart around him. However, it allows us as an audience to forgive him for returning to the game that is the one thing he feels he can control in his life. But I will reiterate that everything Gretchen Mol's character says in the film is 100% right, and if this was reality instead of a movie, the main character would have all the signs of a self-destructive gambling addiction. It's probably not the best thing that this movie doesn't address how dangerous that is, but I'm not someone who suffers from it so I can't say whether it would act as a trigger for others who do have a problem. There's a solid story in Rounders, and I enjoyed the excitement of the poker games as if they were real. I wouldn't say this is the best movie on the subject, but it's one I'm glad I've seen and I might even watch it again sometime.
That being said, I was still excited by the world they built in Rounders. It is intriguing to see how these guys manage to find games where they can make money, and it is also interesting to learn some of the dangers that await those who play for high stakes. Matt Damon plays a relatable character, and even though his girlfriend is always in the right, you still can appreciate that there's a logic in him pursuing something that he excels at as much as poker. Edward Norton is always perfect to play the unreliable sleazebag, and he delivers that in spades here. It's almost to an extreme where you can't comprehend how Damon was ever friends with this guy, but there's still something likable under all the irresponsible nonsense. John Malkovich, on the other hand, did go to the extreme with his performance and it's almost laughably ridiculous.
I had a problem with how much of Rounders is made up of our main character always struggling. It's hard to take after a while when it seems that everything is falling apart around him. However, it allows us as an audience to forgive him for returning to the game that is the one thing he feels he can control in his life. But I will reiterate that everything Gretchen Mol's character says in the film is 100% right, and if this was reality instead of a movie, the main character would have all the signs of a self-destructive gambling addiction. It's probably not the best thing that this movie doesn't address how dangerous that is, but I'm not someone who suffers from it so I can't say whether it would act as a trigger for others who do have a problem. There's a solid story in Rounders, and I enjoyed the excitement of the poker games as if they were real. I wouldn't say this is the best movie on the subject, but it's one I'm glad I've seen and I might even watch it again sometime.