Oct 7, 2005 9:17 am US/Central
Two For The Money
Richard Roeper: "See It"
(CBS)
As Al Pacino's new movie explains, the biggest sport in America isn't football or basketball or baseball. It's betting on those games.
"Two For The Money" is about those guys on cable TV who are always promising you a guaranteed, 10-star, lock-of-the-decade, undefeated weekend of betting on the games. Of course, it's illegal to gamble on sports in 49 states, but it's perfectly legit to run a tout service for information purposes only, wink wink.
Matthew McConaughey has grown lazy in recent years, getting by on his drawl and his pecs, but he steps it up a notch here as a former college quarterback who returns to glory in the persona of John Anthony, a slickster tout with a can't-miss touch.
Al Pacino gives another growling, larger-than-life performance as a gambling addict who claims he's no longer making bets – he's just telling other gamblers who they should bet. That's a mighty fine line.
"Two For The Money" is effective, not just as a gambling drama, but as an examination of some seriously dysfunctional people who are clinging to each other in the night.
Rated R, "Two For The Money" follows a predictable path, and it might be a bit too inside if you don't understand things like the over/under, but it's compelling and stylish. See it.
(© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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