Runner Runner

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, SV]

Distributor 20th Century Fox

Technical 35mm 2.35:1

Genres THR CRI DRA

Runtime 91 mins.

Country USA

Budget $30M

 

CAST

Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Oliver Cooper, Ben Schwartz & John Heard

 

CREDITS

Director: Brad Furman; Screenwriters: Brian Koppelman & David Levien; Producers: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, David Levien, Michael Shamberg & Stacey Sher; Director Of Photography: Mauro Fiore; Production Designer: Charisse Cardenas; Editor: Jeff McEvoy; Costume Designer: Sophie De Rakoff; Music Composer: Christophe Beck

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Former Wall Street wiz-turned-Princeton grad student Richie Furst (Timberlake) pays for tuition by referring other students to online gambling sites for a percentage.  After the Dean threatens expulsion, Richie attempts to raise the cash by competing in a popular online gambling site and loses all of his money by nefarious means.

Refuting the gaming system via statistical analysis, Richie goes to Costa Rica and confronts its slickster owner, Ivan Block (Affleck).  The shrewd, flamboyant bad guy takes a shine to Richie and offers him a job as his #2 man.  Over time, Richie is sucked into Block’s ribald lifestyle—even starting a relationship with Block’s COO Rebecca Shafran (Arterton).  He even gets his college buddies Andrew (Cooper) and Craig (Schwartz) to come on board as system programmers.

An FBI Agent Shavers (Mackie) corrals Richie into turning on Block—since the FBI has no jurisdiction in Costa Rica.  Richie tries to leave the country, but is arrested on Shavers’ behest.  Turns out Block has figured out what the FBI is up to and invites Richie’s father Harry (Heard)—himself a broke gambler—as Block’s “guest.”

Richie realizes the depths of Block’s greed and avarice when his buddy Craig leaves and Andrew is nearly beaten to death when he discovers that Block is running a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme via the online gambling system.  In the end, Richie corrals the local authorities with bribes and gets the help he needs from Rebecca, who is on the level.  They all indulge in Richie’s plot to get Block.

 

THE CRITIQUE

The seedy, illogical world of gambling has long been a movie staple.  Now that we’re in the 21^st Century, and the internet has become the new casino, RUNNER RUNNER strolls in to try and cash some chips while scoring a free stay in moviegoers’ hearts.  However, the (cinema) house folds…as this one turns out to be a disappointing fink!

It’s a shame too, as the movie was written by veteran screenwriting team Brian Koppelman & David Levien (Ocean’s Thirteen, Runaway Jury, Knockaround Guys, Rounders)—obviously no strangers to this illicit world.  Per the production notes:

According to the American Gaming Association and leading gambling research firm H2 Gambling Capital, Americans spent $2.6 billion on illegal online gambling websites in 2012.  In fact, Americans generate nearly 10 percent of the current $33 billion worldwide online gambling market, despite the fact that the U.S. government is doing everything in its power to crack down on illegal operators.  Illegal gambling websites operate in the shadows. They are not regulated by the United States government and lack consumer protections against cheating, money laundering and underage gambling. And they do little to promote responsible gaming.

The point being, given the pedigree of RUNNER RUNNER’s scribes—combined with this new wrinkle of internet gambling being the impetus, I would have expected a taut thriller that exposed this tawdry microcosm.  Say goodbye to OTB…hello couch-potato casino!  But, not exactly.  Oh, and by the way: the title refers to a favorable denouement for the gambler’s hand in a Texas Hold ‘Em card game.  Or something like that…

Directed with basic competency by up-and-coming director Brad Furman (2011’s terrific The Lincoln Lawyer), the movie does not suffer from star wattage.  Singer-turned-thespian Justin Timberlake is a likable cad who possesses some credible acting chops while the lovely Gemma Arteton plays the femme fatale-turned-bad/good girl with some class.  And she’s sexy.  Even Anthony Mackie comes across like he could be a semi-believable FBI prick.

No, the problem (sadly) lies with the movie’s villain, Ivan Block—as portrayed by Oscar^®-winning screenwriter (1997’s Good Will Hunting) and producer (2013’s excellent Argo) Ben Affleck—currently in a career-renaissance that hits a mild speed bump in this feckless flick.  Affleck—tall, handsome, affable, manly chin—is too nicey-nice to give Block the much-needed malice that a good character actor like a young Terence Stamp (scary) or reliable French baddie Vincent Cassel (scarier) could’ve done with the role.  I’m just saying…

Production values for this $30 million budget (boxofficemojo.com) movie are its saving grace.  RUNNER RUNNER was filmed (on film!) in Puerto Rico—standing in for Costa Rica.

Credit Italian cinematographer Mauro Fiore (Oscar^®-winner for 2010’s Avatar; also shot Real Steel, 2005’s The Island, Training Day) for the handsome, widescreen lensing (via the popular Super 35 film format) of the aforementioned cast and locations while veteran editor Jeff McEvoy (Swing Vote, The Lincoln Lawyer, Underworld: Awakening) keeps things running (pun intended) with a slim—and easily digestible—91-minute runtime.

I also want to call out veteran Production Designer Charisse Cardenas (The Lincoln Lawyer, Gone) for creating glossy, exotic sets that showcase Ivan Block’s slick lifestyle—reminding me that I’ll probably never get to live such an opulent lifestyle.  Although, you never know.  I like the houses, cars, bikini-clad women and cash—but can do without the crime, crocodiles and moral ambiguity.

As I said earlier, RUNNER RUNNER fails to live up to the hype brought forth by the exciting trailers and hype.  Now that the deck is stacked, the cards all dealt and the chips gone—I can only think that the only people to lose out in the end are the poor gamblers—er, movie patrons—who paid for their movie tickets.  Luckily, I get in with a wink, a smile and my own chubby chin…as I slip in under the theater screen.  Eat that Ivan Block!!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

RUNNER RUNNER barely makes it out of the starting gate in this handsomely-filmed, but ultimately tepid tale of greed, palm trees and Ben Affleck’s manly chin.  A game cast tries to make it work—but we know who’s working the room and who’s only cashing in their chips.  Good thing I didn’t bet the (movie) house on this one…

 

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2364841/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runner_Runner_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.runnerrunnermovie.com