Following the wake of the ultimate poker movie 'Rounders' in 1998 and everyman Chris Moneymaker's World Series of Poker Main Event Win in 2003, the poker community was faced what is now known as "the poker boom." Utilizing the technology and ease of online poker, the game blew up to dizzying popularity. Casinos (both virtual and real world) were packed as every average Joe thought they could successfully transfer the skills from their nickel-and-dime, kitchen-table poker games. This was both a blessing and a curse on the poker world. It brought in plenty of easy money, but also forever changed the way the game was played into something that is now unrecognizable.

Another change arising from this "boom" was in the media. Poker was everywhere: movies, television, books, and magazines. Apart from 'Rounders,' very few poker movies ever reached any kind of success, with films like 'Lucky You' (a mediocre love story starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore) only taking in moderate numbers and receiving mixed reviews from critics and players alike.

'Shade' attempted to re-capitalize on the 'Rounders'-style poker film. Like its predecessor, it focused on the characters taking down the "big games" outside of the casinos and, like 'Rounders,' utilized a big-name cast. 'Shade,' however, film just had something missing. One of the most obvious missing elements was the character setup. In 'Rounders,' virtually everyone was likable (or, at least, entertaining), even the scumbags and bad guys. With 'Shade,' however, some of the main characters were barely tolerable. Larry (Jamie Foxx) was probably the worst of them all. He had terrible table etiquette, he showed massive tells on every hand, and he disrespected his backers. As a poker player, I found him despicable. On the counter, I enjoyed Gabriel Byrne's role of Charlie, who played a hustler very well. Also, in some of the later roles, Sly Stallone and the great Hal Holbrook really gave the film the extra spark it needed as it entered the final act (which, to be honest, was really the only great act of the film).

The poker in the movie was mediocre. The players were mostly terrible and completely over-the-top; and, some of the hands were so unbelievably ridiculous that it's mind-blowing that no one realized they were being conned. This was a fault of the writing. These are all supposed to be professional con men & hustlers, so they should have been constantly be on the lookout for setups. Unfortunately, they were all either extremely delusional or completely naïve because no one saw the hits they were taking. This movie was clearly not made to be a "poker movie" like 'Rounders,' where poker was at the forefront and center of every storyline. This is more about the con than the cards.

Overall, if you're a poker fan looking for a movie like that, stick with the classics. However, if you want a plot-driven hustler movie with many twists & turns (regardless of how predictable many of them may be), give a look to 'Shade.'

Final Verdict: 6.5/10

-AP3-

***SPOILERS*** Overly over-plotted movie about a trio of of card hustlers trying to get a crack at #1 in the card sharp business the legendary Dean himself Dean Stevens, Sylvester Stallone,by being able to get the mechanic of the group Vernon, Stuart Townsend, to get into a private card game with him.

the Dean is considered to be so big and unapproachable in the film that we don't get a chance to see him until the movie is almost half over. In fact were not even sure if he exists or not up until then even though his name and exploits are brought up by everyone in the movie until he finally makes his grand appearance. It's a lot like a previous movie that one of the stars in the film Gabriel Byrnes, as street hustler Charlie Miller, was in "The Usual Suspects" in regards to the never seen on screen, until he decided to be seen, Kiser Soza.

Finally when getting invited to play the Dean at a private room at the L.A Roosevet Hotel the three hustlers Vernon Miller and his on and off girlfriend Tiffany, Thandie Newton, realize that one of the invited guests is Mob Boss Max Maline, Partick Bauchan! The very person who's got a hit out on them for hustling him out of $82,000.00 through one of their greedy and not so bright marks Larry Foxx, Jamie Foxx, at a fake private card game they set Larry up in.

***SPOILERS*** Hot and heavy action at the card table with as much as $2,000,000.00 at stake as Vernon goes head to head with the Dean after all the other players were wiped out in the non-stop card turning twisting and sliding action on the poker table. The Dean in fact had the upper hand on Vernon by being able to see, with his eyes unfocused, his hand due to juiced deck he slipped into the game. Yet for some reason the card that he had covered changed for Vernon from a Seven to a Jack without any explanation in the movie's script! What's even more ridicules is how the Dean was able to pull off the big switch when he could have easily been beaten since he didn't have the highest card in the deck! But still just high enough to beat Vernon's hand! The Dean's success was not because of any kind of luck or card playing skill on his part but that he was in fact a much better cheater in cards then Vernon was!

***MAJOR SPOILER*** You finally get to see what happened in the movie, at the big card game, when it was just about over and when your about to turn your DVD or VCR player off. But by then your left so confused in all the twists and turns as well as back stabbings in this very confusing film that you've lost, in trying to follow the movie's plot, all interest in it!

What a cast...and what a waste of it. Seriously, when a movie has Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Foxx, Thandie Newton, Stuart Townsend, Hal Holbrook, Melanie Griffith and Sylvester Stallone in it you would expect some quality. The movie is however one big mess with a unlikely story that can't seem to stop putting twist and turns in it. Yeah, I think that they thought they were really being clever with all of it.

The story is not only messy and unlikely, it also isn't exactly terribly original. It uses elements from earlier and much better poker game based movies. But to me it were really the many pointless twist and turns in the movie that did it. It made the story such an unlikely one to watch. On top of that the script remains filled with a lot of holes silly poker game errors and things that just don't make an awful lot of sense. Why would any one above all things want to play against a card player that is known as the best cheater in the game. This is what the movie is about and builds up to but just didn't ever made a lot of sense to me.

Despite that the movie has a great cast, it still feels as if most actors were miscast in their roles. I don't know what it is about Stuart Townsend. He is a good actor but in most roles he plays he always feels out of place. Perhaps it are his looks, I don't known. This basically also was the reason why he got replaced in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". Also Thandie Newton isn't much good and actually quite annoying in her 'strong' female role. And what was the point of having Melanie Griffith in this? Oh, I guess I could go on about the movie its casting and could complaining even some more about the way too limited screen time the Jamie Foxx character gets but I guess you get my point by now.

Damian Nieman just isn't much of an original writer/director and on top of that he also doesn't handle his own material very well. Scenes often feel disjointed, it tries to put in way too many characters and everything about the movie is shallow and in a way predictable. On top of that the movie features some bad editing at times, which also doesn't help to make this movie look like one seamless whole. The movie was also one major box office bomb and no wonder that Damian Nieman hasn't made a movie ever since.

A too big mess to make you enjoy this movie.

4/10

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