Lay the Favorite (2012)
Average Rating: 3.9/10
Reviews Counted: 47
Fresh: 9 | Rotten: 38
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 4.4/10
Critic Reviews: 16
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 12
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.4/5
User Ratings: 2,005
My Rating
Movie Info
Beth Raymer leaves her dancing job at a Florida strip club to become a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. Not exactly an ideal career choice, but her borderline-ditzy personality doesn't give her many options. In walks Dink, a professional sports bettor who sees through her bubbly exterior and offers her a job placing wagers all over town to gain an advantage over the casinos. Her surprisingly impeccable mind for numbers soon cements her status as Dink's good-luck charm, until his gorgeous-but-frigid
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Cast
-
Rebecca Hall
Beth, Beth Raymer -
Bruce Willis
Dink -
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Tulip -
Joshua Jackson
Jeremy -
Laura Prepon
Holly -
Vince Vaughn
Rosie -
Joel Murray
Darren -
Hugo Armstrong
Customer -
Corbin Bernsen
Jerry -
Earl Maddox
Manager -
Rio Hackford
Magic -
Jo Newman
Darcy -
Frank Grillo
Frankie -
Wayne Pére
Scott -
Adam Kozlowski
RIO Gambler 2 -
Al Brown
Old Gambler -
Thom Sesma
Young Guy -
Rusty Myers
RIO Gambler 1 -
Wendell Pierce
Dave the Rave -
John Mourain
Herbie Plane Crash -
Ritchie Montgomery
Jackie -
Rene Piazza
Fat Guy -
Adruitha Lee
Cashier -
Tracy Miller
Guy -
Matt Pebler
Angelo -
Jerry Katz
Some Guy -
John Carroll Lynch
Dave Greenberg -
Ambyr Childers
Receptionist -
Robert Steinberg
Doctor -
Lara Grice
Waitress -
William Sabourin OReilly
ASAP Crew -
Alexey Marti
ASAP Crew -
Lazaro Gutierrez
ASAP Crew -
Dominique Devernay
Curacao Hooker -
Darcel Moreno
Curacao Hooker -
Deven May
Bah Bah -
John Salvatore
Gids -
Andrea Frankle
Marcia Greenberg -
Yolanda Windsay
Singer -
Robert Hoerner
Back Up Singer
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Lay the Favorite Trailer & Photos
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (38) | DVD (1)
Frears has a lot of fun with the bad tempers and high spirits of this crew of adrenaline junkies, and though the story falls a little flat, the script is sprinkled with dry wit.
Top Critic"Lay the Favorite" is a small and not particularly ambitious movie, but it's pleasing and exceptionally well made.
What has happened to director Stephen Frears?
Best to say as little as possible, cut one's losses and move on.
The dots are there, but they don't connect.
A listless comedy built around a vivacious protagonist.
While everything seems to be going in its favor, Lay The Favorite is a losing bet.
A shrug of a film featuring unremarkable characters in an unremarkable story that never does more than limp toward it flat and flimsy third act.
Part invigorating gambling flick, part dull romantic comedy, the movie has trouble establishing a tone, but usually manages to entertain.
... offers little insight into its subject or its setting and feels like it's been chopped up in the editing room.
Poor Rebecca Hall. If someone had told her there was no hope for Lay the Favorite, she could have saved some energy.
This shaggy-dog story based on the improbable real-life adventures of exotic dancer-turned-bookie-turned-journalist Beth Raymer is never quite as amusing as it thinks it is, despite a charming performance by Rebecca Hall.
What little plot "Lay the Favorite" has is lost in a mess of a screenplay that does absolutely nothing to stand out in any way whatsoever.
Hollywood celebrities romping around in a candy-colored Alexa-shot criminal underworld, pretty much as a means of passing time.
Just kind of, well, lays there. Or lies there. It matters to those of us who value the English language, but not to many others. Like this film.
Audience Reviews for Lay the Favorite
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Dink: [singing] All I need it the air I breath...
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- Dink: I just don't have enough room in my pockets for all that money.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Lay the Favorite Full Movie | 31 days ago | 1 |
| Lay the Favorite | 5 months ago | 0 |
| Lay the Favorite | 5 months ago | 0 |
Latest News on Lay the Favorite
December 7, 2012:
Critics Consensus: Playing for Keeps Misses the MarkThis week at the movies brings only one new release: Playing for Keeps, a romantic comedy starring...
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Foreign Titles
- Lady Vegas (DE)
- Lay the Favourtie (UK)
