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Two for the Money (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:5
Rotten:23
Average Rating:5.3/10
Consensus: Despite its sportsmanlike swagger, Two for the Money’s aimless plot isn't worth betting on.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for pervasive language, a scene of sexuality and a violent act
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Oct 7, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $22,862,049
Synopsis: Two For the Money is a drama of high stakes set in the adrenalized world of wheeler-dealers whose fortunes are won and lost betting on sports. Matthew McConaughey stars as Brandon Lang, a former... Two For the Money is a drama of high stakes set in the adrenalized world of wheeler-dealers whose fortunes are won and lost betting on sports. Matthew McConaughey stars as Brandon Lang, a former college football star whose uncanny ability to predict the outcome of a game introduces him to an unexpected new career when his gridiron glory is sidelined by a crushing injury. Brandon's talent makes him a prime candidate for recruitment by Walter Abrams (Oscar®-winner Al Pacino), the head of one of the biggest sports consulting operations in the country. Walter hires the small town ex-athlete and grooms him into a shrewd front man. Brandon soon begins to enjoy his status as a Manhattan golden boy and finds himself growing comfortable with Walter's high-rolling lifestyle. The surrogate father/surrogate son relationship fattens Walter's business and personal accounts...until Brandon's golden touch begins to falter at the same time that Walter's manipulation of his protégé crosses the line. With millions of dollars on the line, Brandon and Walter engage in a deadly game of con versus con, each one trying to maintain the upper hand while everyone in their world, including Walter's wife, Toni (Rene Russo), are drawn into the escalating duel-where ultimately everything isn't what it appears to be. A taut "who's conning whom?" drama, Two For the Money is a Morgan Creek production, directed by D. J. Caruso (Taking Lives), written by Dan Gilroy and produced by James G. Robinson and Jay Cohen. The film is executive-produced by Guy McElwaine and David Robinson. --© Universal Pictures [More]
Starring: Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Armand Assante, Rene Russo
Starring: Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Armand Assante, Rene Russo, Jaime King, Jeremy Piven, Ralph Garman
Director: D.J. Caruso
Director: D.J. Caruso
Screenwriter: Dan Gilroy
Producer: James G. Robinson, Jay Cohen
Studio: Universal Pictures
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Reviews for Two for the Money
Original screenwriting gives way to clichés, and the resolution, while offering closure, seems false -- too much a case of the filmmakers wanting to have their cake and eat it, too.
The movie has a lot of built-in flash and is thus mildly entertaining, though the running time grinds it down.
Pacino is having a blast, and so might the viewer, at least until our scenery muncher finally gobbles all the foliage mid-way through the picture.
The plot is predictable and Pacino is cast in a role he can play on autopilot.
Its rhythms belong to a sports film: game, game, hurdles, big game, biggest. And that, at least, you can bet on.
Falls somewhere on that aesthetic scale between mediocre and flat-out bad.
I'm not a gambling man, but I bet I haven't fidgeted this much in a theater all year.
You can see why Pacino takes such roles: They're so Al, so tragic, so lowdown, so easy for him. He invented guys like this. But he must have other inventions left in him.
Two for the Money seldom feels as if director D.J. Caruso has taken us deeply into the gambling world or given us an entirely realistic look at the people who live there.
The film rides on the believable chemistry of its trio. If it doesn't go all the way, it certainly sprints toward a climax that feels like a gripping 2-minute drill.
Aside from Pacino's snappy contribution, the acting isn't very impressive -- even Armand Assante and Jeremy Piven are misused.
Two for the Money takes its cues from classic rise/demise stories of fresh-faced young men and their amoral mentors, but it stops short of making a point.
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