i like sports movies and this one was no exception. it reminded me of when i was younger and i asked my then boyfriend if i could get in touch with his bookie. he always said no. :(

I came into this movie with low expectations and yet enjoyed the dynamics and got caught up in the excitement of the themes. It is definitely different than most of the movies in Hollywood today and examines an industry that doesn’t get looked at often.

Al Pacino/Rene Russo were great and you could see the gradual evolution of their relationship from the beginning when John Anthony (Matthew) entered their lives and when he left. I especially loved the last scene of Redemption when Rene got on her hubby’s case for gambling with their lives.

I didn’t like the ending, and it definitely wasn’t one that you were expecting and totally deviates from the Hollywood angle here however it just adds to the plot another layer that makes it more interesting.

The whole JA losing his mojo was really hard for me to watch and especially when he kept trying and trying but really couldn’t get the magic back. However, you do see the descent of this good boy to a money-hungry businessman who tossed over all his scruples for the almighty dollar.

And yet, through that whole mask, Brandon still managed to retain himself—-and didn’t give it all up. In fact, he gained more than he went in with, an experience that changed his life.

However—what happened to Pacino’s empire after that one win? I wonder.