Thursday

Tonight, after enjoying possibly the hottest Thai red curry mankind has ever dared to unleash on the world courtesy of K and her curry-paste-alchemist sister, we sit down to watch Rounders. At least, I sit down to watch Rounders - K is far more entertained by her new phone, which is like a baby version of my new phone. The fact that it happily does Facebook and Twitter is enough to ensure only cursory attention on the 1998 Matt Damon movie. But no matter - it was my choice of film anyhow.

Rounders is an odd one. Despite its relatively heavyweight cast (for 1998) of Damon, Edward Norton, John Malkovich, John Turturro and Famke Janssen of GoldenEye fame, it's a film that relatively few people I know have even heard of, let alone seen. I think I managed to see it in around 2001 via my new college friend Joe, who had spoken highly of it and mentioned that it was on Sky Movies at least once a week. He wasn't wrong - on either count, actually - as it turns out to be a really fun movie.

It focuses on two hardcore poker players - one, Damon, who puts himself through law school by hustling Texas Hold'em games before losing it all on one hand with Teddy KGB (Malkovich with a brilliantly silly Russian accent and an Oreo fixation) and the other, Norton, who is a highly-skilled cheat prone to getting the shit kicked out of him. One review on Wikipedia suggests that it's a pretty standard 'sports movie', with the story helping the characters from poker table to poker table. It's not a bad assessment, but the real joy in the film is the insight into the (possibly fictional) high stakes underworld of gangland poker clubs - tackily-dressed Russian mafia guys in 36-hour sessions over cigarettes and vodka is quite an appealing, noir-ish image.

I'm no poker player - in fact I'd go as far as to say I actively avoid card games; I can never remember the rules (is three of a kind better than two pair? What's the difference between a flush and a full-house?) and have never been a fan of gambling in any form, nor bluffing or any of that agressive, deceptive game playing. More of a Scrabble man. But I do enjoy the way the film treats the game's jargon, its high-tension moments and the swings from glory to crushing despair.

It's just weird that Rounders has had what Wiki always calls a 'mixed reception'. I can't see much to hate about it, but maybe it was just released at the wrong time. Poker certainly seems to be more popular now than it was ten years ago, what with all the online jiggery-pokery (it's not called that, but should be) and I don't seem to remember seeing it on TV in this country a few years ago either.

Anyway - that's my review of a 12-year-old film that I've seen several times and no one else seems particularly bothered about. Maybe I should do one of these every week?!