Owning Mahowny (2003)

Director:

Richard Kwietniowski

Writers (WGA):

Gary Stephen Ross (book)
Maurice Chauvet (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 September 2003 (Argentina)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

To some it's a game. To others it's a habit. But to Dan Mahowny -- beating the odds is everything

Plot:

A bank manager (Hoffman) with: (a) a gambling problem and (b) access to a multi-million dollar account gets into a messy situation. Based on the story of the largest one-man bank fraud in Canadian history.

Plot Keywords:

Embezzlement | Gambler | Gambling Debt | Compulsive Gambler | Casino

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Dan Mahowny
Minnie Driver	...	Belinda
John Hurt	...	Victor Foss
Maury Chaykin	...	Frank Perlin
Ian Tracey	...	Det. Ben Lock
Sonja Smits	...	Dana Selkirk
K.C. Collins	...	Bernie (as Chris Collins)
Jason Blicker	...	Dave Quinson
Vince Corazza	...	Doug (as Vincent Corazza)
Roger Dunn	...	Bill Gooden
Eric Fink	...	Psychologist
Mike 'Nug' Nahrgang	...	Parking Attendant
Tanya Henley	...	Teller
Brona Brown	...	Teller
Philip Craig	...	Briggs

Also Known As:

La double vie de Mahowny (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:L | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | USA:R | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Trivia:

While this is not technically a remake, the film The Highroller (1984) (TV) is based on the same true story.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Movie takes place in 1980-1982, however Air Canada jets seen in the background at the airport are painted in a design first introduced in the mid-to-late-'90s.

Quotes:

Dan Mahowny: How much for the bags?
Car Rental Girl: They're free for customers.
Dan Mahowny: Great, can I have one?
Car Rental Girl: Well, you're not a customer, so...
Dan Mahowny: Okay... how much for the bags?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Daily Show: (2003-01-09)" (2003)

A tour de force. One of the best of 2003

Every once and while, film buffs get a treat. Amongst all the crash and burn violence and volume of the summer blockbusters, every once and while, a movie will sneak under the radar and capture our attention.

Owning Mahowny didn't get much of a theatrical release. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, the film never played on more than 24 screens and earned only a fraction of the minute $10 million budget. But here is your chance to find it in the lonely ‘O' section of your local DVD retailer.

The movie is based on the true story of Dan Mahowny (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a mid-level bank official that has a gambling problem. Dan will bet on almost anything and his addiction would result in a financial hole not easily climbed. It is here that Dan begins to use his title at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to fraudulently steal money for week-end trips to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Over his eighteen month spree, Dan was able to gamble over $10 million of the banks dollars.

The film follows Dan through the initial stages of his addiction and careful details his interaction with Vegas hotel staff, co-workers and his girlfriend as he feeds his desires while keeping his compulsion secret. As he falls deeper into the casino's pockets, the hotel owners fall deeper in love with his freelance style, and Dan is soon treated with celebrity like status upon every visit. However, eventually, the police begin to piece the missing money together and the result is the uncovering of the biggest one-man bank fraud to ever hit the Canadian borders.

Owning Mahowny is a terrific film largely in part to the incredible acting performance by Hoffman. As Dan Mahowny, Hoffman is able to portray an insatiable gambler who is ignorant to his surroundings when at the card table. His stare at the table and lack of emotional response, either for the good or the bad, is incredibly parlayed by Hoffman's sweat and stature. A scene where Mahowny takes his girlfriend to Vegas but quickly ignores and forgets her once he is in front of a blackjack table is unforgettable.

Owning Mahowny is not without its good supporting cast either, including John Hurt (Alien) as the Casino owner that takes a shine to Mahowny and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) as his girlfriend. Both show us the contrast between someone who doesn't want to know how he does it and loves him for it and the other who can't seem to get to know the man she loves.

Like 1999's Rogue Trader, it is scary to see the loopholes exploited by bank or financial institution employees in these true stories brought to the big screen. It both movies, you see how one man with the access to large amounts of money can easily get over their own head and dig themselves deeper and deeper into a whole, yet they are always thinking they are one bet or one trade away from righting the wrong.

Owning Mahowny was one of the best films of 2003, and should not be missed. Storytelling doesn't get any better than this.