There have been some dreadful poker movies in recent years… Some low budget clunkers… Some big budget flops. However, the genre has sunk to new lows with “Deal” — an absolutely abysmal movie crammed with every poker cliché and falsely dramatic moment one can imagine. I thought Eric Bana’s “Lucky You” was about as bad as it could get, but even that monstrosity cannot complete with this unmitigated Burt Reynolds disaster. This film is littered with big name poker pros, who embarrass themselves at every opportunity. It is more predictable than the next tick on a clock. Anyone who knows anything about the game will cringe constantly as “Deal” repeatedly makes poker look like a cheesy cock-measuring contest. Even Shannon Elizabeth’s oddly brief appearance fails to add inches to the result. This straight to DVD bomb is another failed entry in the poker genre. Watching “Rounders” or “Cincinnati Kid” for the 100th time is a far better choice.
Surprisingly good.
A consistently amusing mockumentary with more than enough successful observational jokes to earn a solid recommendation. What is lacks in sheer hilarity, it more than makes up for in wry smiles.
As someone who has spent much of my life in the poker community, I am always leery of poker movies. So often, especially since the recent “poker boom”, these types of movies are laced with unrealistic scenes, poor dialogue and ludicrous plots. Most recent poker films are unintentionally funny — in a bad way.
However, along comes “The Grand” — a film that lampoons the poker world while simultaneously having the most realistic portrayal of the many quirky characters found in that world. It also is the first poker film in years to actually show realistic hand situations. “The Grand” isn’t filled with royal flushes and full houses. It doesn’t have the clichéd and melodramatic showdowns.
Nope — this poker movie shows poker for what it really is… a boring game played by a bizarre variety of characters.
I was particularly impressed with the cast. They improvised a great deal of the dialogue and made it work 75% of the time. Sure, there were some flat moments that tested my patience — but they were quickly forgotten as we shifted to another amusing scene.
All in all, “The Grand” represents the kind of humor found in films like Christopher Guest’s “Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind”. If you like that type of dry humor and have a mild interest in the poker world… this film is for you.
