Review of High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003) by Mikko L — 17 Apr 2008

The name of the flick pretty much sums this all up. It's a story of the legendary card player Stu Ungar who started playing cards as a kid and making pennies in gin rummy, and later turning into a three-time WSOP winner in no-limit hold 'em main event (twice in a row!).

The story takes place in a hotel room where Stu Ungar was found dead at the age of 45 due to complications of long-lasting substance abuse. The film tries to have an artsie touch with the cigar puffing grim reaper sitting by the Unger's bed with Unger reflecting back upon his life and career.

It doesn't work. Nothing is quite right about this movie, and I think it is of a mariginal interest, mainly to those who are poker aficianados. The cast (Imperioli and Schirriarpa) and the plot make the film appear almost as a spin-off of The Sopranos.

The plot sucks. Going down the memory lane, ups and downs are presented cathegorigally without any thrill. Ok, so he won. He lost. He won again. That's it. The thrill just is not there. The much-needed thrill of a hunt and kill of the game are totally lacking from this film.

In only a single scence Imperioli, or Stuey, gets to showboat with his ability to read the tells of the opponent and how to deduce the opponent's hand. Frankly, I would rather have watched a WSOP or WPT game on TV.

They'd been much more thrilling. Talking about WPT, the WPT host and poker pro Vince Van Patten plays a role in this flick. I'm not sure if it tells anything about the quality of this flick but consider that as an observation, if nothing else.