The talented poker player Mike McDermott and his childhood friend Lester 'Worm' Murphy are the best bidders in the game, where their tales begin when they turn to accumulate large debts on them. The two now have to earn enough money quickly to play poker to repay their multiple debts. It's a story that refers to a person traveling from one city to another in search of a chance for other high-risk cash games in order to get a lot of money.
Gretchen Mol, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Martin Landau, and Famke Janssen costar; they're all pretty good, but not good enough to make this 1998 feature worth seeing.
In his first non-noir film, John Dahl, assisted by the great French lenser Jean-Yves Escoffier, gives New York's underground gambling scene a vivid atmopshere, with special attention to its particular rituals and fast macho talk.
The most vivid and most enjoyable movies immerse us in a world, and show us how that world works. The screenplay by David Levien and Brian Koppelman does that; Dahl's direction closes the deal.
In fighting to show the psychological complexities in Mike that the script ignores, Damon plays it like a rounder instead of a grinder. This kid still has surprises up his sleeve.
Film4
March 25, 2008
John Dahl creates an intelligent and character-driven crime-drama built around solid performances by Damon and Norton.
Though it's a good-looking flick with some smart acting and a few flashy runs, it barely breaks even dramatically, and feels, overall, like a good chance wasted.
ReelTalk Movie Reviews
October 29, 2011
Although featuring a splendid Edward Norton performance, 'Rounders' comes across as too unbelievable, often straying beyond the bounds of rationality.
The wholesome pup's poker face alone, however, hardly accounts for the film's failure to thrill. Damon's character doesn't really have that much stake in the story's outcome.
