Review of Taking Chances (2009) by Shawn B — 14 Nov 2010

I consider myself a pretty big Justin Long whore, I mean fan. I think he's an incredibly talented, very very funny (both physically and in the traditional sense) and just a damn fine actor, especially of my generation.

Speaking of my generation, he is the Bill Murray of exactly that. So I plan on checking out every one of his fine films. And Taking Chances is just one of those. Justin Long plays Chase Revere, a young man who is just trying to write some of his own history in a great big world.

Director Talmage Cooley takes us with him on his first feature film in which he also wrote. Chase is the towns soul means of retracing its important history, though no one else really seems to care, even his own father.

His best friend in the whole world, Digger, lets him in on the towns newest secret. They plan on building an Indian casino right on the field that at one point or another housed a very important battle during the Revolutionary War.

Digger is played by Keir O'Donnell, a very talented young actor whom you may remember as Todd from Wedding Crashers and more recently as the main baddy from Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Soon Chase drives by a very beautiful Lucy, played by the equally beautiful Emmanuelle Chriqui of Entourage fame.

Together Chase and Lucy start a protest of the new casino, much to the chagrin of the rest of the town, as they are all excited for the possiblity of new income. But what the town doesn't know is that the Mayor (played expertly by Rob Corddry) and some other folks are putting most of the town up as collateral for a bribe to the Indian clan to build on their land.

The story takes a turn for the worse when Lucy, who Chase is really starting to fall for is ousted as having an affair with the Mayor, which totally makes Chase rethink everything about his character and his future.

And to me, that is the downfall of the movie. I get it, things don't always work out for the best and not every scene has to be happy. But I just think this particular arch of the story is not needed.

But then again I guess they had to have a reason to go from point A to point B. I just wonder if something a little more creative and not so detrimental could have been used. But thats just coming from a me.

Middle of the story arch aside, the ending is one of the better ones I've seen. I won't give it away, but I will say it isn't the ending I wanted to see, but it still worked on a high level.

I'm a sucker I guess ... I probably always will be.