Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Checkmaker
I also read the book, but I had a completely different take on the movie. I really liked the movie and thought it was really well done. [...] My favorite scene was when the character Harlan Eustice got bluffed by the player Bad Brad and then proceeded to unravel and go on tilt.
I went last night with two poker buddies (one also a film buff), and we all enjoyed it.
But I actually found that tilt scene hard to believe as I thought a player like Harlan would never go on tilt to that extreme, at least not for more than a few hands. However, if Molly says so ...
I disagree about the fish that folds the nuts being completely unrealistic. The suggestion was that as a tyro he was feeling completely overwhelmed and not thinking clearly.
And while it may be hard to believe that Molly was such a stand-up about not naming names, that's also what makes the film. Without that question at the centre I don't think it would have much drama. (One of the lessons of the film is how brutally the US government can destroy someone through asset seizure and tax prosecution to compel them to testify.)
She knew what she was doing was illegal at the end when she finally started taking a rake, but as her dealer / friend had pointed out, she's one step away from losing the game to bad debts at that point so she needs to cover herself. I think she was very naive in not seeing the Russian Mafia's involvement in the New York game (and also in thinking that saying No to the Italian Mafia's request for a piece of the action would be a simple act). Of course, as she says, she was doing drugs at that point to keep herself functioning on that insane schedule and probably wasn't thinking clearly.
So the real message of the movie may be: "Stay off drugs, kids. Especially at the table."
Oh, and that reminds me of the funniest scene in the movie--where the FBI is reading her transcripts of phone-taps to show her that they know of her extensive involvement and they tell her, "See. People keep saying things like 'Bring Molly with you'". And she has to explain to them that Molly is the street name for E.
Last edited by RussellinToronto; 01-21-2018 at 11:13 PM.