'Rounders' gets lost in shuffle

By Jimmy Chai, On-Line Forty-Niner

Thursday, September 3, 1998

Sometimes two story lines can run together, intertwine and create a wonderful tied-in ending that rips the audience members off their seats and into a moment of applause. But for "Rounders" something got lost.

MOVIE REVIEW (R)

Poker stud and law student, Mike McDermott (Matt Damon), finds himself torn between loyalty to his girl, Jo (Gretchen Mol), his friend, Worm (Edward Norton), and his passion for the game of poker.

Worm, who plays the part of a loser to perfection, gets released from jail and sucks Mike back into the card-world he tried to leave behind for civility. Like most recent movie friends, Worm gets himself and Mike in debt and it is Mike who chivalrously comes to the rescue of his friend.

By the end, it is Mike who needs to choose his priorities.

"Rounders," directed by John Dahl, is the "Good Will Hunting," "White Men Can't Jump," "Maverick" movie mutt that fails to bring it together in the end.

Damon ("Good Will Hunting" and "Private Ryan"), roots himself into the same character that he has played in all of his past movies. Although the character fits Damon's now type-cast trademark persona, a break of the mold would have been nice.

Norton ("Primal Fears" and "The People vs. Larry Flynt"), convincingly plays the down-and-out friend, Worm.

The one underlying commandment throughout the movie is poker is everything.

Director John Dahl manages to show the psychological aspects of poker playing through Damon's character.

John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons), steals the scene with his performance as the hormonally expressive Russian card shark.

For those who love poker, this is a great movie. For those who don't, watch it, learn and say you have been playing for years, because Hollywood might create a slew of poker playing movies.