Review of Runner Runner (2013) by Thomas W — 27 Nov 2013

It is very safe to say Runner Runner isn't the best film from either of its two main stars in the last year or so. Ben Affleck directed and starred in and won an Oscar for Argo while Justin Timberlake will be seen in the upcoming Coen Bros.

release Inside Llewyn Davis. Both actors have given great performances in the past -- Affleck in Hollywoodland and Timberlake in The Social Network -- but both moreless phone-in their performances for Runner Runner.

Neither are disastrously bad here although it is very clear that Timberlake is a more gifted comedic performer than he is a dramatic one. Runner Runner takes place in the high stakes world of offshore online gambling when Princeton graduate student Richie Furst (Timberlake) comes to the realization that the win-loss ratio on a website he frequents is highly flawed and statistically impossible in favor of the site's win percentages after losing the entirety of his tuition money to the site.

He decides to fly to Costa Rica to point this out to the website's creator, Ivan Block (Affleck) ... because this sounds reasonable and not risky at all. Block appears grateful for the news and offers Furst a job helping him run his growing empire worth millions but things become complicated when Furst finds himself attracted to Block's girlfriend (Gemma Arterton - Hansel & Gretel) and also finds himself confronted by the FBI (Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker) who wants to use him to take down his corrupt boss.

What does Richie do ... especially when neither side offers a safe bet or appears trustworthy or honest? Runner Runner isn't an awful movie but it isn't a good one either. There are some beautiful shots of a tropical Costa Rica, it has a nice pace and the stars are all attractive; but the storyline simply isn't a winning hand.

It is a watchable diversion but it isn't worth much.