Grade: B- | Genre: Drama Summary: I think with a better director and perhaps a cleaner script this could have been a true star vehicle for Pacino and McConaughey to cut loose and strut their stuff. Instead, we are left with an enjoyable film featuring solid performances, dead spots, and an acceptance to be the mediocre younger brother of Boiler Room. About 90% of what's pumped out of Hollywood is formula filmmaking. It's been done before with some measure of success so its the studio's place to ride that ailing pony for all its worth. There really are very few original thoughts outside the realm of independent filmmakers and even they seem to be testing the outer fringes lately. Two for the Money is Boiler Room set in the world of sports gambling. The sport in question is football, and there are millions of dollars illegally riding on each game, be it professional or college. So for a man who can tell the future, the world is his oyster. When his crystal ball grows foggy and dim, everyone that rode his coattails to victory is standing in line to slice him by the throat. There are no off weeks in this sport.

Ladies you will be happy to know Matthew McConaughey is our star, and he's laid out like a slab of juicy beefcake for the wonder of your salivating eyes. He has officially sworn off shirts in this film and saunters around displaying his perfect body so you girls can let your fantasy databanks soak up every angle. He's a strikingly handsome man that exudes confidence and charisma. He was born to play John Anthony. Before he's John, he was a college football star who blew out his knee in the Bowl game, sidelining his professional dreams. He continued to cultivate his body for a shot at trying out again once his knee had recouped. While working as a voice man for a 900 number service in Vegas, he's asked to record a handicapper's picks for the coming week's games. He chunks the guy's losers and picks his own crop, allowing him to takeover the service.

Two for the Money Starring: Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Rene Russo, Armand Assante & Jeremy Piven Director: D.J. Caruso View the Trailer (Quicktime) You Might Also Enjoy... Boiler Room Rounders Wall Street Email this article to a friend Order "Sin City" today Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba $15.98, save over $14! www.amazon.com Curves Duluth Discover a Gym Where Women Can Change their Lives 30 Minutes at a Time www.curvesduluth.com Curves Duluth Discover a Gym Where Women Can Change their Lives 30 Minutes at a Time CurvesDuluth.com

I can say that Pacino's days of Michael Corleone are officially kaput. For the past ten years, give or take, he has played the same role in virtually every film. They change his name, jockey his profession yet still this flamboyant, over-the-top, fireball comes raging through like clockwork. Sometimes that charisma works astoundingly well (Heat, the Insider) other times directors ignore this and attempt to wedge his personality into a role that goes against the grain (Simone, the Recruit). Can we really fault him for morphing into this one-dimensional actor which he's perfected? I guess it's debatable. Two for the Money is no different. Revving up his engines to reach full Pacino roar, he again plays the living human flaw. There is an ugliness that sweeps through him inside and out, but he's always got this streak of redemption plastered up the front of him that you silently root for.

Both of our lead actors were custom made for these parts, and they give them a lot of life and pizzazz. Unfortunately, they couldn't rub much of that off on the film. It is a very fun and enjoyable film, but it falls way short of greatness. It doesn't have that energy and chemical charge that Boiler Room had a hard time containing. It lacks that thick situational tension that buoyed Rounders. It's missing the icon forming character of a Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. On all accounts, it comes off as a cheap carbon copy, keeping you intrigued and focused; yet knowing your bed got short sheeted. That is the risk when you plug into a formula feature. You limit a film's shot at greatness.

I think with a better director and perhaps a cleaner script this could have been a true star vehicle for Pacino and McConaughey to cut loose and strut their stuff. Instead, we are left with an enjoyable film featuring solid performances, dead spots, and an acceptance to be the mediocre younger brother of Boiler Room. You could certainly do worse, but if you've managed to skip over the later reshuffle your Netflix list so it's at the top. You can thank me later.

Originally Posted: October 10, 2005