Poker Face (Russell Crowe, 2022) Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, RZA; A tech billionaire hosts a high-stakes poker game between friends, but the evening takes a turn when long-held secrets are revealed, an elaborate revenge plot unfolds, and thieves break in; Netflix; US production, filmed in NSW
Glenn Kenny:
Written by Crowe and Stephen M. Coates, Poker Face wants to be an awful lot of different things over the course of a commendably short running time. ... The contemplation of mortality drama, the revenge puzzle, the captivity thriller—they all get a whirl here. And it’s all topped off with the Unified Theory of the Good or At Least Redeemable Billionaire. Even if you can sense the fun Crowe is having with the camera setups in certain scenes, Poker Face is simultaneously a lot and not all that much. Roger Ebert.
I watch too many police procedurals. At the end of this, what I was contemplating was how the coroner would deal with the mess. But of course this story has nothing to do with plausibility - and as soon as the last card is played we are off to the credits. And are thankful that is before ninety minutes have elapsed.
One thing surprised me: I knew nothing about the plot before starting to watch and expected quite a lot of poker-playing to happen. But no: in the main part of the story, there is but one single hand.
Garry Gillard | New: 17 November, 2022 | Now: 26 December, 2022