Russell Crowe co-writes, directs and stars in Poker Face, a movie listed as either an action thriller or a mystery thriller. But don’t believe any of that. It’s nothing more than a bluff.
Crowe plays Jake Foley, an obscenely rich man who is also terminally ill. He is a self-professed gambler, having been obsessed with poker since he was a kid. Knowing he doesn’t have long left, he invites his childhood friends for one last high-stakes poker game, hoping for a chance for them all to admit their secrets to each other. But little does he know, a plot for revenge is already underway.
It certainly sounded interesting, but the actual movie is anything but. For a movie called Poker Face, and set somewhat in the world of Poker, there really isn’t that much poker being played (I think 3 hands in total, 2 of which take place at the beginning of the movie). And the little that is, is not interesting at all. And while there are some revelations as each friend reveals their secret, it’s of little consequence. There’s just no point to any of it. And how are Crowe and Liam Hemsworth childhood friends? They give Hemsworth some makeup, but the two are about a quarter century apart in age. Who’s idea was this?
Worse yet is the revenge plot. It feels completely out of place, and I would guess only exists as some attempt to provide more action to the film. It’s as if Crowe know the poker portion of the movie wasn’t working and wanted to trade in his cards for a different plot. Granted, the film does need something to break you out of the boredom at that point. But it fails at that. In fact, it is quite tame. The only notable thing about it is the villain. And it’s not because it’s an interesting character. Instead, he is both buffoonish and cartoonish, and way too over the top. It’s ridiculous. You could get a more nuanced, layered performance if the villain had been Yosemite Sam (“I’m gonna get my revenge on that varmint”).
None of the aspects of Poker Face worked for me. I struggle to even understand why the film was made. I would suggest that perhaps Russell Crowe was just dealt a bad hand, but as he co-wrote the screenplay, he did this to himself. There are ways to make poker interesting, but the film doesn’t even try. And the revenge plot, meant to add more suspense, is the least suspenseful part of an already boring story.
So, I would pass on Poker Face. What could have been (and is marketed as) a movie about a mysterious poker game, ends up being a poorly paced movie about…. well, you’ll have to ask Russell Crowe about that. As a wise gambler once said, you gotta know when to hold ‘em. Know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away… and in the case of Poker Face, just run.
Have you seen Poker Face? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.