Plot
After suffering a career-ending injury, a former college football star aligns himself with one of the most renowned touts in the sports-gambling business.
Release Year: 2005
Rating: 6.1/10 (22,322 voted)
Critic's Score: 50/100
Director:
D.J. Caruso
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino, Rene Russo
Storyline Brandon Lang loves football: an injury keeps him from the pros, but his quarterback's anticipation makes him a brilliant predictor of games' outcomes. Needing money, he leaves Vegas for Manhattan to work for Walter Abrams advising gamblers. Walter has a doting wife, a young daughter, and a thriving business, but he has problems: a bum heart, a belief he's a master manipulator, and addictions barely kept in check. He remakes Brandon, and a father-son relationship grows. Then, things go awry. Walter may be running a con. The odds against Brandon mount.
Cast: Al Pacino
-
Walter
Matthew McConaughey
-
Brandon
Rene Russo
-
Toni
Armand Assante
-
Novian
Jeremy Piven
-
Jerry
Jaime King
-
Alexandria
Kevin Chapman
-
Southie
Ralph Garman
-
Reggie
Gedde Watanabe
-
Milton
Carly Pope
-
Tammy
Charles Carroll
-
Chuck
Gerard Plunkett
-
Herbie
(as Gerrard Plunkett)
Craig Veroni
-
Amir
James Kirk
-
Denny
Chrislyn Austin
-
Julia
Filming Locations: 55th Street & 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $20,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $8,703,240
(USA)
(9 October 2005)
(2391 Screens)
Gross: $22,862,049
(USA)
(13 November 2005)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Rene Russo's husband, Dan Gilroy, wrote the part of Al Pacino's wife Toni especially for Russo and tailored it to fit her perfectly. He even used Russo's real-life sister's name Toni as the name of the character.
Goofs:
Continuity:
Brandon's wine glass at the steakhouse is nearly empty during the three shot, then one quarter full during his close-up.
Quotes: Walter Abrams:
Know what you know, and know what you don't know. And know that I gotta know everything you know as soon as you know it... or sooner
User Review
The odds
Rating: 7/10
There is a scene at the beginning of the film that seems to set the
tone of "Two for the Money". We watch as Walter Abrams is talking on
the phone with someone who will not be able to provide an elephant for
his daughter's birthday party. Walter barks to his assistant, "Get me
Ringling". When the call finally comes through, he demands to know
whether he is talking to Barnum or Bailey, which is a funny line.
Wasn't P.T. Barnum himself the man famous for that quotation about a
sucker being born every minute?
Walter Abrams is a man who is in the sports betting business. He and
his associates stand to make millions out of the jerks they pursue to
do their betting with his firm. Having found a new rising star, Brandon
Lang, a man that knows a lot about the intricacies of point spreads and
picking winners. Walter wants to transforms him into a man who can
bring more money into his outfit.
In order to do that, Walter must groom him to "look" the part. As such,
Brandon becomes John Anthony, the man who can produce fabulous results
every week end during the football series. Brandon gets to meet the
insiders, but little does he know who he is dealing with, or much less,
what is expected of him. After all, he is just as good as the winners
he can produce.
The film, directed by D. J. Caruso, a man who has worked extensively in
television, has a glossy look. The screen play by Dan Gilroy could have
used some tighter editing, because at two hours it feels a bit long.
Al Pacino, as Walter, has some good moments; we have seen him in better
roles, and this one is a composite of other things he has done before.
Mr. Pacino compensates when the screen play is not going anywhere by
applying an intensity that doesn't go well with the others playing
opposite him. Matthew McConaughey is a light weight actor who, aside
from his good looks, doesn't bring anything to this story. Rene Russo
is obviously a tall woman who towers over Mr. Pacino in most of their
scenes together. Their relationship doesn't come across as being a real
thing. Jeremy Piven and Armand Assante make good contributions in
supporting the principals.
While "Two for the Money" is by no means a horrible film, it just
doesn't have anything new to say.
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