The story of one of the largest fraud, conspiracy and corruption scandals in the history of the United States doesn't seem like it would make a very good comedic movie. After two hours of Casino Jack - surprise! - it doesn't.
The true tale of notorious Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff deserves a whole lot better than the off-topic and trivial satire offered here, which not only completely misses the point but allows the movie to say very little about the morality surrounding its case study.
The overrated-because-everybody-says-he's-underrated Kevin Spacey plays Abramoff, a high-powered Washington lobbyist with connections on the Hill
including the ear of House Majority leader Tom DeLay (Spencer Garrett). Abramoff and his protégé Mike Scanlon (Barry Pepper) sell influence, and wager they can manipulate their pull into a small kingdom of fortune and power.
But when the two make the mistake of enlisting the help of mafia-related pal Adam Kidan (Jon Lovitz) as a frontman for an offshore casino business, while also fleecing numerous Indian tribes of millions of dollars, things start to go downhill.
As former friends quickly distance themselves from the Abramoff mess, he and Scanlon are left to fend off the federal dogs themselves as their small empire crumbles around them.
The foremost problem is that the pacing of the film is far too fast, as director George Hickenlooper tries hard to fit in all Abramoff's shady dealings with lawmakers at the expense of any kind of character study and many necessary details. In the end, if you have no background on the Abramoff case, you'd probably be questioning how he broke the law at all.
The familial story behind Abramoff, the reason he was doing all this in the first place, also falls flat, and the ending is pathetically Hollywood, with voiceover of Abramoff in jail reflecting on his misdeeds and all.
Spacey, Lovitz and Pepper all do kill their roles and are true joys to watch interact, although they have to spit out some laughably cliché dialogue. Lovitz is at least given some gem one-liners, ones he doesn't waste.
Worst of all, though, Casino Jack has all the trappings of the revisionist, Bush-era political picture, ala W., Fair Game and Rendition. The obvious thought process of movies like this should play well because of the distrustful way the government is held by America at large, as we're continually beat over the head with the this is how Washington really runs memo.
It's more than a fair subject and time period to examine, but when we actually see a good movie (Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, notwithstanding) about this period that doesn't feel the need to be completely sardonic and/or self-righteous is anyone's bet.
Casino Jack isn't a terrible movie. It has moments - any time Lovitz is on screen, certainly - that just about everyone will enjoy. But all in all, this story of a lobbyist gone rogue is of no special interest.
- Cameron Dunbar is a sophomore studying journalism. Hedge your bets and call him craps at cd211209@ohiou.edu.
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Cameron Dunbar
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