Gamble Doesn't Pay Off

Sun Herald

Sunday May 14, 2006

Rob Lowing

TWO FOR THE MONEY

Rated: M

Starring: Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Rene Russo, Jeremy Piven.

Critic's warning: Frequent language, adult themes.

Critic's rating: 5/10

ALTHOUGH he comes close, all of Pacino's roaring can't save the imploding plot of gambling drama Two For The Money.

Pacino might be an expert at this kind of wolfish character. But he needs a good story. What he gets here is all set-up, no development.

He plays the former gambling addict who runs an elite sports betting "advisory service", a device to get around tough US betting rules.

Pacino hires ex-footballer McConaughey to pick winners in the weekend games. His protege immediately hits a winning streak, with huge pay-offs. But both men soon discover that what goes up, etc.

Two For The Money wants to be Wall Street but it comes across like Street-lite imitator Boiler Room. Attempts to capture the high-pressure world of big-money sports gambling become endless scenes of men shouting into phones. McConaughey is good at playing on the nefarious side of larrikinism and he benefits from Pacino's track record in working well with younger male co-stars: Johnny Depp in Donnie Brasco; Keanu Reeves in The Devil's Advocate.

The relationship between the two men will keep (male) adult viewers watching and the film should have focused on them. Annoyingly, interesting but erratic director D.J. Caruso (Taking Lives, The Salton Sea) makes pointless detours to robotic Russo; as Pacino's wife, she is so heavily made up she looks plastic-coated.

© 2006 Sun Herald

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