This movie is centered around a poker tournament (called... the Grand, obviously). Build as a documentary, we follow a bunch of people; Jack Faro (Woody Harrelson) who own (or owned) a casino that he got from his grandpa, but has been staying at a rehab facility of late; Harold Melvin, a nerd who lives with his mother, and drinks a lot of Brain Juice; Lainie, a housewife who is getting a little tired of her husband, Fred (Ray Romano); Larry, Lainie's brother who is... a little out there, and always a step behind his sister; Deuce Fairbanks (Dennis Farina), an elderly gentlemen (a cowboy really) who speaks his mind and likes to remember the olden days; The German (Werner Herzog), a crazy german who feel compelled to kill at least one animal each day, and therefore arrive with... a lot of the; Andy Andrews, who won a seat at the Grand, more or less, by accident.
Just your average poker players... or maybe not. This is a movie afterall, so of course the characters needs to be... quirky. Also, this is clearly a comedy (and not an actual documentary, but I think you had guessed that). I kinda like these characters, flaws, weirdness and all. Oh, and there are other players as well.
The movie is not filmed entirely as a documentary, but goes back and forth between the genres. Most of the time, the camera is handheld, making for very lively images, but there are also interviews with our six main characters, where they tell their stories. In theory, it is a good idea, but in reality, it seems more like a gimmick than anything else. I read somewhere that when they sad down at the final table, they did not have a script, and actually, didn't know who would win. I like movies that use improvisation, but honestly, I've seen better movies than this one.
Last words... a short ride, with its moments, but not much of a movie. It'll be forgotten by the morrow. Want to see a good movie about poker, go see Matt Damon and John Malkovich battle it out in Rounders.
