Deal (2008/I)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Gil Cates Jr.

Writers:

Gil Cates Jr. (writer)
Mark Weinstock (writer)

Release Date:

12 June 2008 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Soms komt er van gestolen goed, wel iets goeds!

Plot:

As an ex-gambler teaches a hot-shot college kid some things about playing cards, he finds himself pulled into the world series of poker, where his protégé is his toughest competition. |

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Burt Reynolds	...	Tommy Vinson
Bret Harrison	...	Alex Stillman
Shannon Elizabeth	...	Michelle
Maria Mason	...	Helen Vinson
Gary Grubbs	...	Mr. Stillman
Caroline McKinley	...	Mrs. Stillman
Charles Durning	...	Charlie Adler
Brandon Olive	...	Ben Thomas
Jennifer Tilly	...	Karen 'Razor' Jones
Jon Eyez	...	Mike 'Double Diamond' Jackson (as Jon 'JT' Eyes)
J.D. Evermore	...	Tex Button
Mike Sexton	...	Himself (as Michael Sexton)
Vincent Van Patten	...	Himself
Phil Laak	...	Himself
Antonio Esfandiari	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

USA:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #43848) | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Seven Arts Pictures

Trivia:

For the film's climax, the "World Poker Tour" (2003) set was shipped to New Orleans for filming.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the last hand of the WPT Championship sequence, Tommy looks down to find Jacks, then checks. This play is impossible. Since play is heads-up, Tommy, if he is acting first, is the small blind. Therefore, he would have to have at least called Alex's big blind. Checking would not have been an option for Tommy, based on his position.

Movie Connections:

References "World Poker Tour" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Fool Me Again

Not the bad film critics claim it to be, Deal was quite enjoyable and worth a watch.

Before commenting on the film, I just want to say that Deal is not the bad film critics are bashing for apparent no reason, not even by far. It wasn't a masterpiece, but Deal was certainly entertaining for what it is: a light-weight, straight-forward drama/coming-of-age story that takes place in the world of Poker championships. The story doesn't need twists and turns. So what if you can see the ending coming by a mile?it was still great to watch Burt and Bret Harrison playing each other so well. With its short running time, Deal flows nicely. Not flashy or made on a huge budget, Deal delivered a good time nevertheless, and it was quite moving to see Burt Reynolds, one of the most criminally underestimated actors of Hollywood, back to the theaters playing a main part again. The man is seventy two now, but still holds his impressive charm and larger-than-life screen presence. To have lived the life he lived -being Number One Box Office actor for five years straight and then falling from grace and being destroyed by a serious of awful circumstances and career mistakes - gives Reynolds a living legend aura and certainly made me think that he is one of those last, great movie stars who won't get the recognition he deserves, that is, until the day he dies, but then it will be too late. It happened to Charles Bronson, it happened to Roy Scheyder, it happened to Rod Steiger: in the late phase of their careers, they were criminally forgotten and nighted, when they truly deserved the due respect.