A Disappointing Hand: Russell Crowe’s 'Poker Face' Fails to Deliver as a Poker Movie
1 year ago
09:44
25 Jan
Critics have been particularly critical of the screenplay, noting that the plot is disjointed, with scenes that seem to have been deleted and then sloppily pieced together.
For example, there's a scene at an art gallery in which a woman approaches Jake and asks to paint his portrait, but she doesn't appear again in the movie until the last minute, and her role is never fully developed.
The fact is, if you're looking for a movie about poker, Poker Face will disappoint. Despite the title, there's not much actual poker in the movie. The one hand that is played is over quickly and anticlimactically. We don’t even get to see a crazy quads versus royal flush like in some Hollywood blockbusters.
The production quality of the movie is decent, but it's not enough to save the film from its poor screenplay. Poker Face is only 129 minutes long, so it's not a complete waste of time, but it's not a movie you'll ever want to watch again.
Critics have also compared the movie with the popular poker themed movie of the past, "Rounders", directed by Brian Koppelman in 1998, which is widely considered as the best poker movie of all time. A tough act to follow.
Despite the mixed reviews, the movie has a solid cast with Russell Crowe delivering a decent performance. However, it seems that the screenplay failed to live up to the expectations of the audience and critics alike, particularly a disappointed poker community.
25 Jan
Poker Face, the new poker-themed movie starring Russell Crowe, has received mixed reviews. The movie, which can now be streamed and purchased on DVD, has received criticism for its convoluted and hard to understand plot. Many parts of the story are not clear and difficult to follow.
Incomprehensible
The movie follows the main character, Jake Foley (Crowe), as he invites four of his childhood friends to a luxurious retreat where they'll play a high-stakes game of NL hold'em. However, the game lasts only one hand, and the rest of the movie devolves into a convoluted and nonsensical storyline with no more poker content forthcoming.Critics have been particularly critical of the screenplay, noting that the plot is disjointed, with scenes that seem to have been deleted and then sloppily pieced together.
For example, there's a scene at an art gallery in which a woman approaches Jake and asks to paint his portrait, but she doesn't appear again in the movie until the last minute, and her role is never fully developed.
The fact is, if you're looking for a movie about poker, Poker Face will disappoint. Despite the title, there's not much actual poker in the movie. The one hand that is played is over quickly and anticlimactically. We don’t even get to see a crazy quads versus royal flush like in some Hollywood blockbusters.
The production quality of the movie is decent, but it's not enough to save the film from its poor screenplay. Poker Face is only 129 minutes long, so it's not a complete waste of time, but it's not a movie you'll ever want to watch again.
Critics have also compared the movie with the popular poker themed movie of the past, "Rounders", directed by Brian Koppelman in 1998, which is widely considered as the best poker movie of all time. A tough act to follow.
Despite the mixed reviews, the movie has a solid cast with Russell Crowe delivering a decent performance. However, it seems that the screenplay failed to live up to the expectations of the audience and critics alike, particularly a disappointed poker community.
We give it a C-.
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