
At least I could spend my money and time watching a different movie. Rather than a MPAA warning for Language, I would prefer a heads-up whenever the filmmaking team really doesn't care much for the project. The closest comparison I can come up with is last year's Savages, directed by Oliver Stone. Director Brad Furman showed promise with The Lincoln Lawyer, but this one comes across as being rushed through production with faux-style.

#Runner runner movie
It has neither the depth, plot or character development that we would expect from a movie with this premise and cast.

Writing partners Brian Koppelman and David Levien co-wrote the excellent Rounders, but this one merely teases the dark underbelly of online gambling.
#Runner runner professional
Only John Heard and Anthony Mackie come across as professional actors, and their minor roles are so limited, they barely register. though her hair and make-up are terrific. Gemma Arterton should never stoop to such a mundane and lifeless role. Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake simply go through the motions as if someone is feeding them their lines through an ear piece. This one has "paycheck project" written all over it. The most positive comment I can make is that it stars two very pretty men. I can sit in a theater and watch a mediocre movie, but when it comes time to write about it, there is no motivation or appeal. The ending is too obvious to be worth the time spent watching. The gambling jargon was too hard to follow to be interesting. The relationship of Justin and Ben (and Gemma, for that matter) were too dry to be engaging. The story was too familiar to be exciting. Anthony Mackie plays the FBI agent too over-the-top to be convincing. She does not get to do much, and she does not have any chemistry with any of the men she is supposed to be in liaisons with. The beautiful Gemma Arterton is totally wasted here. He is hardly believable as a nefarious gambling lord who could feed his enemies to crocodiles. I do not really expect much from Ben Affleck as an actor, and again here, he does not measure up. I liked his scenes with his father played by John Heard.

Justin Timberlake generally does well as Furst, wide-eyed and excited at first, troubled and harassed at the end. When FBI agent Agent Zbysko (Anthony Mackie) enters the scene with his threats, Furst discovers he might have bitten off more than he could chew. Block admires Furst's gambling acumen and hires him to be a trusted runner for his business affairs, which slowly reveal themselves to be less than on the level. When the school clamps down on his activities and he loses all his savings on a last ditch all-or-none bet, Furst goes straight to the top, flying to Costa Rica to seek out Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), the kingpin of online gaming. Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), a Princeton management graduate student who promotes an online gambling site on campus, earning commissions to pay off his tuition.
