Happy hump day everyone! We’re getting close to busy season here at the Breakdown, with the fall sport solstice upon us we’re ramping up football coverage, preparing for basketball and hockey, and of course living and dying the baseball pennant races. While that’s all going on, I still want to take some time to work in popular culture on this fine site, after all, I like to try and keep us at the cross section of sports and culture. So today I invite you to take a break from your job (don’t let the boss know) and transport you to the underground world of New York card games and Atlantic City casinos. That’s right, today we’re talking about one of my favorite movies, 1998’s Rounders!

This is a film I came to through my father, who like my mother has shown me plenty of great films over the years, and this one is at the top of the list. It’s lines and characters rank amongst our favorites and we’re not alone on that, as this film has taken cult classic status since its release. For my Dad and I, Rounders is shorthand conversation when we’re out and about. Sitting at dinner telling him I have a round of golf coming up, “go you to Swan Meadow and play the Golf Pro game,” he’ll say without hesitation. My stepmother takes out a package of Oreos, “check check check all night” we’ll parrot. I’m even the proud owner of a “pay that man his money” t-shirt. We probably drive everyone nuts in the process, but hey, what can I say, it’s part of the fun.

Now before you ask, no I don’t know play cards…really at all. I love a Casino, I like to watch the World Series of Poker and pretend I know what’s happening…but I don’t play Poker or even really understand it. Sadly, for true purists of the game, I am one of those people that the movie gave rise to, that just loves the idea of Poker because of how effortlessly cool it is depicted on screen. That is a credit to the production no matter what others outside of it say, and something we’ll elaborate on here. For what it’s worth my games of choice in a casino are Blackjack and roulette, but I have an at home poker set, so it’s never too late to learn, though for now I’ll stick to the keyboard.

Now, let’s highlight the reasons why this film works so well before we dive deeper into it.

1. The Cast is dynamite
2. Its brilliantly written and its direction just exudes style
3. It’s a great New York/tri-state area movie
4. It is the true definition of a rewatchable

Let’s start with the cast. We’re presently living through the summer of Matt Damon, for what feels like the 3rd or 4th time in our lives. Damon’s been a star on the silver screen for the better part of three decades, but The Odyssey has pushed him to the front of the public consciousness in a way that his career hasn’t quite done so before. Many of his best leading man qualities are on display in Rounders, from his earnest and charming nature to his humorous and sarcastic side. He binds the movie together and plays well off of his costars like a great point guard running an offense. You’re rooting for him from beginning to end, even in spite of him putting himself in some awful positions, that my friends is how you get an audience to empathize with your star.

There is a string of solid performers working alongside him in this film though. Gretchen Mol turns in a solid performance as Mike’s (Damon) girlfriend Jo, who through thick and thin has his back…even though she sort of quits on him mid-way through. Veteran actor Michael Rispoli is as good as ever as the villain of the film. Famke Jansen, a star of the early 00’s is here to help keep the games going at the Chesterfield as well, and let’s not forget the mix of character actors who compromise the gang for fellow players Josh Mostel, Lenny Clarke, and Lenny Venito (to name a few). As enjoyable as they are, they are outshined by Martin Landau who turns in one of his finest performances in a career that boasts 174 acting credits and one Oscar win. If you’re doubting, see for yourself.

But in spite of how good all these people are, none of them are the MVP’s of the film, Damon included. Those honors go to three performers in particular, beginning with John Turturro, one of the most underrated performers of his generation. Turturro, a New York lifer, plays Joey Kinnish, a poker player himself who also helps get Mike out of trouble and helps him earn an honest living. He, much like Damon, plays the role with a sincerity that is hard to not be affected by, especially in scenes like the one below where he pushes back on the Worm insulting him from afar while also teaching Mike a lesson.

MVP number two is of course John Malkovich, who portrays Russian mobster and Mike’s arch nemesis, Teddy KGB. I’ll save his clip for later, but in short, Malkovich is magnetic in the role. He spars with everyone on the set at different points, or at least it feels like he does. It’s always fun to see an actor having fun on camera, and this performance from Malkovich is one of those roles. Now, onto MVP number one, and when I say that I mean no disrespect to the first two actors I mentioned here. This slot can only be inhabited by Edward Norton who is at the absolute peak of his powers as a performer in Rounders. I don’t mean that to say it is his number one role in what has been an excellent career, but to quote Bill Simmons, Norton is “throwing a hundred and painting corners” as Worm. He’s so quick on his feet opposite Damon and really brings the movie to life, bringing some charm and a lot of slime to the roll. My personal favorite of his scenes is when he’s outside “The Chesterfield” working out his next game with Damon, enough to make you cringe at his behavior and laugh quite hard at the same time.

Now as good as these actors are, the work behind the scenes helps to make this movie really sing. And that beautiful music begins and ends with a sharply written script by David Levien and Brian Koppleman. Now maybe their names don’t sound terribly familiar to you, but you’ve likely seen and or heard their work on Showtime’s Billions, their most successful project aside from Rounders. They’re a pair of New York natives who almost write to the rhythm of the city in this film, and they also happen to be a great interview and podcast guest, as Koppleman is a repeat guest on The Ringer Podcast Network to talk all things movies, TV, basketball and more. The movie also greatly benefits from the direction of John Dahl who shoots some of the better lit scenes you’ll see in a comedy/thriller like this, while also making you feel like you’re a part of the scene, sitting along at the table with the players in a tense game.

Now let’s talk reason number three, Rounders relation to the greater tri-state area, our best connection between the site and the film. From Atlantic City itself to Jersey State Prison in Rahway and to the heart of downtown New York City, so much of this is filmed on location to give you an authentic feel of what the areas underbelly may actually be like. Whether its fantasy or reality, it suits the film well from start to finish. It goes much deeper than that though as its the small details like Worm tuning out Mike over a hot dog from the street or Worm and Mike falling into their old rhythm “like Clyde Frazier and Pearl Monroe,” you only get a reference like that when a Knicks fan helms the script folks.

Let’s talk reason number four, perhaps the most important of them all, the films re-watchability. If we’re going to define a “rewatchable”, at least as Bill Simmons and the gang at The Ringer would, it’s a movie that whenever you find it on TV you drop what you’re doing and just keep watching, no matter how much you’ve seen it. Maybe Mike, Worm and the rest of their pals are busting up tourists at the Taj. Or maybe Mike is telling the Johnny Chan story, and you want to finish the movie from there. No matter what, Rounders is always worth leaving on if you’re lucky to catch it on cable, hell it’s even the type of movie you’d watch with the sound off at a bar. If you’re wondering what it’s most rewatchable scene, I give you dear reader, one of the most electric scenes in any film ever…

Ultimately this movie is just a good time, from an era where Hollywood made awesome projects that adults could watch and enjoy. It didn’t have to be a part of a franchise or a guy in a cape, Rounders is just a quality watch at home or in a theater. There has been talk of sequel over the years and frankly I do hope it happens. I don’t care what the plot is, it would just be good to spend some time with our favorite gamblers again. Shout out Bill Simmons and the rest of The Ringer gang for always serving as wonderful inspiration to cover what we wan here. Thanks for spending some time with me in the “cinema corner” of the site, we’ll be back with some more pop culture soon and a whole lot more sports content. Until then…remember what cheers you up when you’re feeling shitty folks.

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