This film has been criticized a lot for being "flat", "unsubstantial", containing "uncomfortable scenes" and featuring a character who's portrayed in an "exaggerated way". Well, it might be because Hollywood usually offers blockbusters with no real stories but standard hot-shot acting, endless car chasing, plane high-jacking and gun shooting scenes or fantastic high-tech effects in movies without a message and action line that can be summed up in one sentence. A non-mainstream oriented piece is hardly a match.
Why does it deserve 9 stars out of 10 then?
Number 1 - because it has a story to tell: the relationship between a father, who earns his money with inventing new ways of cheating the casinos across the country and a son, who has a Dawn syndrome; between a person who has never escaped the responsibility of caring for his child, but who can never find the right way to express it in person, and another one, who - although with mental problems - can express it better than anyone else. In this shortly presented scrap of a story you can find all the greatness and sadness of life and be pushed to think about what's really meaningful in it.
Number 2 - specifically because it features a character with a Dawn syndrome. People do feel uncomfortable during some of the scenes. Well, in this case, watch how the characters react, and learn. Because people with mental difficulties shouldn't be ignored, underestimated, laughed at or isolated. They might have difficulties in perceiving the world the way most of us do, and still they should be treated as an equal part of society, they should be thought of and cared about. The character of Tom Guiry is not over-acted. If you've ever communicated with a person suffering from a Dawn syndrome, you'd know. Just watch and learn.
Number 3 - because of the amazing gambling moves. That's the other part of the story - what the characters do is clearly unlawful, but you cannot help but sympathize with them for the sake of their potential of inventing and pulling off the tricks they do. Fun, simple, yet surprising and smooth.
Let me just add that the acting of everyone involved was on a quite good level - especially Tom Guiry who had the most difficult part. Chazz Palminteri, especially at the end, gives quite a touching performance that's contrasting to the usual image of a hit-man or a mafia guy he's mostly playing.
I watched the movie three times - the third, solely for the sake of the original music by Chris Hajian.
All in all, a classy, emotional and touching movie, worth watching.
Why does it deserve 9 stars out of 10 then?
Number 1 - because it has a story to tell: the relationship between a father, who earns his money with inventing new ways of cheating the casinos across the country and a son, who has a Dawn syndrome; between a person who has never escaped the responsibility of caring for his child, but who can never find the right way to express it in person, and another one, who - although with mental problems - can express it better than anyone else. In this shortly presented scrap of a story you can find all the greatness and sadness of life and be pushed to think about what's really meaningful in it.
Number 2 - specifically because it features a character with a Dawn syndrome. People do feel uncomfortable during some of the scenes. Well, in this case, watch how the characters react, and learn. Because people with mental difficulties shouldn't be ignored, underestimated, laughed at or isolated. They might have difficulties in perceiving the world the way most of us do, and still they should be treated as an equal part of society, they should be thought of and cared about. The character of Tom Guiry is not over-acted. If you've ever communicated with a person suffering from a Dawn syndrome, you'd know. Just watch and learn.
Number 3 - because of the amazing gambling moves. That's the other part of the story - what the characters do is clearly unlawful, but you cannot help but sympathize with them for the sake of their potential of inventing and pulling off the tricks they do. Fun, simple, yet surprising and smooth.
Let me just add that the acting of everyone involved was on a quite good level - especially Tom Guiry who had the most difficult part. Chazz Palminteri, especially at the end, gives quite a touching performance that's contrasting to the usual image of a hit-man or a mafia guy he's mostly playing.
I watched the movie three times - the third, solely for the sake of the original music by Chris Hajian.
All in all, a classy, emotional and touching movie, worth watching.