Plot & Script
Rounders tells the story of Mike McDermott (Matt Damon), who was once a pretty good card shark, and his best friend Worm (Edward Norton), an accomplice fresh out of jail. As one can infer, Worm nudges Mike back into the card world, and things snowball from there.

The movie falls primarily into the sports movie genre. Poker of course isn't a conventional sport, but the script follows the sports movie formula. Thus, you shouldn't be shocked by any of the plot turns, as the movie requirements make each decision a necessary one. But what does surprise is the smartness of the decisions. The characters think smartly and on their feet, making almost every decision a logical one, when the character of each is considered. Everything adds up well, leading to the blood-pumping final scenes (at least as much as poker can get the blood-pumping).

Acting
Acting performances provide both highlights and lowlights of Rounders. Matt Damon provides Mike with the needed mix of boyishness and confidence, and contributes one of the great movie faces of the last few years when he loses a poker hand early in the movie. Edward Norton nails another part, this one as the slimy weasel of a friend. Worm rarely makes a good decision, and Norton expresses that cocky stupidity, effectively making you want to strangle him.

I haven't yet decided if Gretchen Mol is awful in her role as Mike's girlfriend, Jo, or if she nails the part so well that I hate her. The truth is probably somewhere in between, and regardless of her intent, she portrays the epitome of every whiny, intrusive girlfriend. With Jo's every line, you can almost hear the stakes being hammered into Mike's heart. If you watch this with a group of guys (as you should), you will undoubtedly hear a combination of cursing, moaning, muttering, and teeth-gnashing as she grates on their nerves. But at least from a male perspective, this doesn't detract from the movie. Mike becomes that much more appealing, as we beg for him to ditch the b**** and dive back into the exhilarating world of high-stakes poker.

John Malkovich's portrayal of Russian mobster Teddy KGB also deserves its own paragraph. He delivers one of the most enjoyable over-the-top performances I can remember. I have no idea what the heck kind of an accent he uses, don't know if it's accurate at all, and frankly don't care. It somehow hits the right note. Teddy's flawed attempts to use American profanity and innuendo are perfectly executed, yet hilarious.

Among the solid supporting cast is John Tuturro, being his usual stellar self as Knish, the stoic grinder. Martin Landau, in a Obi-Wan/Mickey Goldmill-esque role, is fine to good as Mike's law professor. Famke Janssen is smokin' as Petra, the Russian vixen who runs a local poker club. The rest of the cast falls into place, nailing their parts without drawing much attention to themselves.

Technical Aspects
This is the kind of movie that doesn't rely on technical prowess to succeed. But those aspects of the flick are still surprisingly good. There isn't a traditional score, but the music kicks in at appropriate times. Often used along with shots of transition, both physical and emotional, the soundtrack contains a mixture of jazz and blues instrumental music. It's card-playing music, Vegas music, driving when necessary, sitting in the background when necessary. The highlight of the understated music was at the end of the movie. After a climactic event, the camera lingers on a particular person who is absorbing what happened. Rather than crescendo and over-dramatize the moment, the music remains subdued, effectively expressing the thoughts of that character.

The color choices are excellent as well. The exterior shots and most non-poker scenes are primarily done in monochromatic hues, somewhat similar to the matrix portion of the Matrix films. Contrasting with those shots are the vivid colors of the poker scenes. Whether they occur in an Atlantic City casino or an underground lair, the card scenes feature a richness that is accented by the colorful chips and playing cards. Those scenes are where Mike says he feels alive, and the colors on the screen express this emotion as well.

Other Thoughts
Matt Damon provides narration over the course of the movie, and that is an excellent decision by the filmmakers. Rather than provide excessive exposition in the form of dialogue, they choose to use Damon's voice, which provided thoughts primarily related to poker theory. Those opinions and facts are both informative and enticing, further drawing the viewer into the poker world. That world is portrayed extremely well, and yet you need not know anything about cards to enjoy this movie. While you probably won't pick up on some of the intricacies, you will still fully understand what is happening.

While I know this movie appeals to guys, I can't say with certainty whether or not women in general will like it, because I've never met one who has seen it. If you like poker, I know you'll be in for a treat. If not, I think you will at the very least appreciate some of it. Women may react negatively to the stereotype of Jo, but I've about given up trying to figure women out, so I can't be sure.

The DVD
Again, this movie doesn't need a great transfer or booming digital sound to work. That's a good thing considering the quality of the technical specs. The transfer isn't that good, as flickers pop up consistently throughout the movie. It's not distracting though; I'd compare it to watching a new movie in theaters, as the glitches are there, but aren't a big deal. I didn't notice much good or bad about the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, which is dialogue-heavy. A quality sound system will give the rhythmic music a good and full sound, but won't be completely utilized. That's why this film plays as well on television as DVD.

The DVD is bare bones. When the packaging advertises "Interactive Menus," that's a bad sign. The only "feature" is the theatrical trailer, which is actually more intriguing than most trailers. Half of the shots in the trailer are NOT included in the movie. I saw extended scenes between Jo and Mike, apparent physical threats against Mike, and generally a darker film in the trailer than what the final product was. Apparently a handful of storylines were axed, and thankfully so, as the two-hour running time is perfect. But the presence of unfamiliar shots left me begging for a slew of deleted scenes. Alas, Miramax has yet to release a special edition DVD of Rounders. The company has re-released other DVDs in special edition (Swingers, Good Will Hunting), but I haven't heard anything about a new version of Rounders anytime soon. Nonetheless, I recommend holding off on purchasing this DVD until a better edition appears.

Rating Information
Rounders is rated R for pervasive language, some innuendo and brief nudity. There are a few shots of Worm ogling strippers, as well as several scantily clad women of questionable morals. Not for kids unless you catch it on television, which doesn't rob the film of much appeal.

Final Thoughts
Great movies possess great themes, and although I hesitate to label this movie 'great', it does feature the great human themes of money, greed, pride, and friendship. These are what drive the show. Above all, it is a compelling film, one that you want to keep watching throughout, and one that you will likely want to watch again when finished. After you play poker.


(Note: Rating solely the film, I award a high four of five. I dole out three of five stars for the DVD itself.)


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age