Review of Two for the Money (2005) by Lorenzo V — 28 Nov 2008

Walter Abrams: "Stats are not enough, you need a voice! These are gamblers ready to risk what they can't afford for what they can't have, you're selling the world's rarest commodity: certainty, in an uncertain world.".

D.J. Caruso's Two for the Money stars Matthew McConaughey as Brandon Lang, a former college quarterback whose life plans changed when he suffered a career-ending injury. Brandon turns out to have remarkable skill at picking winning football bets. Eventually, he comes to the attention of Walter Abrams (Al Pacino), a very successful business tycoon who runs a giant gambling operation. Walter brings Brandon to New York and introduces him to a glitzy, fast-paced, money-drenched lifestyle that Brandon eagerly soaks up. When Brandon's magic touch begins to falter, Walter starts to turn on his protégé. Soon the two men are attempting to outwit each other, with Walter's wife (Rene Russo) caught in the middle.

Review.

Well, I saw this movie yesterday, and although I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't terribly thrilled, either. I imagine it would be different for someone who was really into sports, sports gambling, or maybe was a compulsive gambler himself. For me, the relationships were interesting, and Al Pacino certainly chewed the scenery in his role as a kingpin sports prognosticator. I would say that he was over-the top except that I know actual people from New York who are really like that. Matthew McConaughey was as good as I have seen him and ripped as ever. I would recommend the picture for beefcake fans, but there really wasn't enough to make a meal of. Not my type of picture, more suitable for sports fans.