| | | To some it's a game. To others it's a habit. But to Brian Mahowny, beating the odds is everything!
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), English, Subtitled
Based on the true story of the largest one-man bank fraud in Canadian history, Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) and John Hurt (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) star in the coolest, smartest, most stylish thriller of the year! Dan Mahowny (Hoffman) is a mild-mannered bank manager with a nasty gambling habit and a job that gives him access to a $20 million account. When a major losing streak leaves him busted and unable to cover his losses, Mahowny develops an ingenious plan to play the bank against the casino. But with time running out and the odds stacked against him, obsession becomes compulsion and the thrill of the bet is quickly replaced with a primal desire to stay in the game.
"One of the great performances this year is by Philip Seymour Hoffman." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Editor's Note
Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers another staggering performance in Richard Kwietniowski's follow-up to LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND. Dan Mahowney (Hoffman) is a well-respected assistant bank manager with a pretty fiancé, Belinda (Minnie Driver). But Dan also happens to be a compulsive gambler. One day, he steals ten thousand dollars from the bank in order to feed his addiction. From there, the embezzling only gets worse. Obsessed with gambling for gambling's sake, Dan matches his even bigger losses with even bigger bets. Soon, he's flying to Atlantic City at every opportunity, blowing hundreds of thousand dollars at a casino run by the shifty Victor Foss (John Hurt). Slowly, the Toronto police begin to catch on to Dan, although they have no idea just how guilty he is. When they finally set a trap to catch Dan, he's in the process of winning back all the money he has stolen. But as is the case with addicts, they never know when to say when, and Dan is no exception to the rule. Based on a true story, Kwietniowski's film presents gambling addiction with a matter-of-factness and lack of glamour that can be attributed to Dan Mahowney himself. Hoffman's portrayal of the unassuming criminal is another priceless gem.
| Features | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Columbia Tri-Star |
| Release Date: 10/14/2003 |
| Running Time: 105 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2003 | | Catalog ID: 00218 | | UPC: 00043396002180 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | USA Today
"...Hoffman's fine performance is the centerpiece, surrounded by powerful portrayals by John Hurt as a casino owner and Maury Chaykin as a two-bit bookie..." 05/02/2003 p.14DLos Angeles Times
"...A perfect fit for Philip Seymour Hoffman..." 05/02/2003 p.C10 Film Comment
"...An engrossing, low-key character study/thriller..." 03/01/2003 p.70 Entertainment Weekly
"...Nobody plays shlubby, quiet desperation quite like Hoffman....It's a virtuoso performance..." 10/17/2003 p.66 Chicago Sun-Times
"Philip Seymour Hoffman's inward, focused performance is the key to this movie." 12/21/2003 p.11 Sight and Sound
"[T]his is an acute and intriguing case study..." 03/01/2004 p.78 Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance is a masterpiece of discipline and precision. He hardly ever raises his head from the task at hand, or his voice from the detached reserve of a--well, of a bank functionary. He spends a lot of time adjusting his glasses or resting his fingers on his temples, as if to enhance his tunnel vision. He never meets the eye of the camera, or anyone else. Even when a casino security guard is firmly leading his fiancee away from his table, he hardly looks up to notice that she is there, or to say a word in his defense. He is gambling. - Roger Ebert
San Francisco Chronicle 8 of 10
The story has its tense moments, but it's the character study that keeps the eyes glued. We know, watching Hoffman, that something is welling up inside this bottled-up man and that it's coming out in the act of gambling. It's the scream of a man who's never learned to raise his voice. The stakes, yes, but not his voice. - Mick LaSalle
James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
It works for two reasons: (1) it understands the nature and patterns of addiction and doesn't try to blunt or soften them to appeal to an audience, and (2) it doesn't cop out with a happy ending. Add to that a brilliant performance by Hoffman, and you have a motion picture that never ceases to be worthwhile. - James Berardinelli
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