Review of Runner Runner (2013) by Orlando O — 06 Feb 2014

Runner Runner has the talented cast, and a good premise but it just drags in this bland crime thriller film.

Richie (Justin Timberlake) funds his master's degree by having students go onto online gambling. The dean of Princeton threatens Richie about the online gambling on campus and how it is forbidden. In order to pay off his tuition, he gambles all his money in online poker until he loses to someone who may have cheated; Ivan Block (Ben Affleck). Richie goes to Costa Rica to discuss to Ivan who runs an organization of online gambling websites. Ivan offers Richie a job in the organization in which only soon he will be dragged into the world were FBI, and other corrupted officers and dangerous people will have Richie in their crosshairs.

The plot has a good premise involving an empire running an online gambling and a guy being introduced to the high-class life. Although, the writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien did not really care to show any sense of characterization on any of the characters. It was difficult to even care about what Richie is going through or feel for his character when he is being attacked by many groups of people. By the time the movie actually ended, there was really no impact to how you felt when it ended.

Justin Timberlake was decent with his performance, but it was hard to even root for the main protagonist without any development. Gemma Arterton's character felt like a waste with just having her be eye candy for the guys. Anthony Mackie was only there playing an FBI Eric Shavers who is always on the hunt towards Richie and trying to convince him to lure Ivan out. Ben Affleck seemed to be having fun playing the antagonist and tried at least.

Brad Furman failed to hit the high notes in making an effective thriller. The cinematographer Mauro Fiore tried showing many landscapes shots of Costa Rica. Did it help the story or the tone? No, Runner Runner is boring; it has dull characters, and failed to engage as an effective thriller.