Negócios e Trapaças

Very poorly developed, the movie simply jumps into poker and fails to ever develop its characters or any interest in them.

If you're a poker fan you'll probably enjoy watching this fictional version of World Tournament of Poker et al.

But again, it's fictional, and apparently an opportunity for several big-name washed-out actors (Burt Reynolds, Jennifer Tilly) to get a job.

But since it's fictional and the characters are simply pretend, there's nothing in this movie that causes your empathy or excitement to root for them, unfortunately.

What a bum-deal.

Poker was still red hot going strong in 2008. No Black Friday yet. WSOP & WPT still doing a ton of tourneys with heavy tv coverage. Everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon, cash-in on the action - Hollywood included - leading to this relatively low budget entry 'Deal'. It has some moments card fans will enjoy, but also a healthy helping of cheese.

Alex (Bret Harrison) in his last year of university studying law likes to play poker, but it's his success online that allows him to be a part of a final table as played on national tv. Inexperience gets him eliminated, but he catches the eye of once legendary poker player Tommy Vinson (Burt Reynolds) who thinks he can make the kid a champion. Takes him under his wing in a 50/50 arrangement. Shows him the ropes, teach him lessons, but a blowup sees the two separate only for a showdown at the final table of a WPT tournament later.

Burt sports an obvious wig getting up there in age, but still fun to watch as Tommy. A man who hasn't played a hand in "over twenty years" after going busto and nearly losing his wife and now craves to get back into the game. Harrison holds his own and Shannon Elizabeth shows up to provides eye candy and a rather silly surprise.

Made in collaboration with the WPT, 'Deal' feels cheap at times given it's low budget. Purports to take place in multiple US gambling cities, but obviously all shot in one place. However if you enjoy the game of poker there's a few things here to enjoy. They don't do a bad job of capturing the game of no limit hold 'em and many pros & a few celebrities show up doing cameos. Counterbalance that with a cornball cliche story and a last second reveal that is beyond ridiculous.

I saw this film last night and I liked it. Burt Reynolds was the right choice for the part and Bret Harrison was convincing. In spite of a basic storyline they took the poker-concept serious. Shannon Elizabeth's part is what surprised me the most, I will not spoil it for anyone, it was just something else. It has been a while since her last film and I have to say she still has her man-enchanting skills.

So in a nutshell: A nice, OK movie with a sort of debuting Bret Harrison, a Burt Reynolds right in it's place and a comeback for Shannon Elizabeth which is definitely worth a watch, especially for pokerfans. I hope to see more of Bret and Shannon.

"Deal" is the oldie about the retired card shark - who's sworn off the game for love of a good woman - who serruptitiously takes a promising young whippersnapper under his wing to train him in the fine art of high-stakes poker. Burt Reynolds is the leathery old pro and Bret Harrision his green, but cocky pupil who together head to Vegas and New Orleans for an intense session of training and instruction. But will Tommy be able to resist the lure of the tables and not mount a comeback of his own? And will we finally wind up with the card shark and the neophyte squaring off in a televised multi-million-dollar tournament to determine the very best poker player in the whole wide world? I'll see you and raise you on that bet.

As a subject for film, poker is already one of the least compelling forms of competition there is, and "Deal" does little to rectify that situation. Moreover, the characters and plot lines are so hopelessly hackneyed and uninspired that we spend most of our time just waiting for the scenes to play themselves out. Harrison lacks charisma as the upstart newbie, but Reynolds brings a degree of gravitas to his overly-familiar role of a has-been trying to achieve the victory and personal glory he missed out on the first time around.

But you'll wind up feeling as enervated as the players long before the final hand is played.

Okay, so this is my first shot at this. I was compelled to write because of all the abuse this video is taking. It's not that bad. Actually I enjoyed it. Especially the ending which was a Great One by the way. And also about the comment that poker fans would not like it, actually I think the contrary would be true for the simple fact it IS about POKER and all most nothing else (although Shannon Elizabeth adds a little spice to it). No, other than Burt, there is no actor in this well known to be outstanding but there doesn't need to be. No, it is not Rounders and the comparison wasn't, I don't think, a very good choice. If you want a comparison on how the movie is set up it more closely follows "The Color of Money" as pupil and teacher going off to the big tourney. Anyway, I think poker fans will love it, if for no other reason you get to see almost every big name poker pro in the biz be in a movie. Regardless, you'll LOVE the ending.