Runner Runner is about the dirty underbelly of the online gaming community. It's entertaining and you don't have to be familiar with poker to understand what's going on; however, it helps to be familiar with it to grasp its entirety. I happen to find the evolution of online gaming fascinating, so I found many more redeeming qualities about this movie than it probably deserves.
The bones are there, but Runner Runner misses by a few feet. It's categorized as an "American crime thriller," and it almost is. There isn't enough suspense for me to call it a "thriller." This could have been the new generation The Firm (1993) ala Tom Cruise, but the writing and editing butcher it. The storyline is sloppily put together, there's weak cohesion, and most of all a lack of character and relationship development.
Ben Affleck as Ivan Block is surprisingly good, but it's toward the end of the movie where he shines. The one time he raises his voice and the crocodile scenes are ones to watch. This Affleck kid is growing on me.
Justin Timberlake as Richie Furst, is like the movie...almost good. He's getting there, but his timing and energy still needs some polishing. The hardest thing about this film is that Timberlake doesn't let you sympathize with Richie, so there's really no one you're rooting for.
Gemma Arterton plays Rebecca Shafran. Unfortunately, her role is typical female support/love interest. Although, for this movie being so male dominated, she brings a great amount of sultry confidence. She does however dwarf Timberlake's abilities and it's unconvincing that she finds such a weak presence so endearing. This is only the second film I have seen Arterton, the first being Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013). I have to admit, I'm fangirling her a little and she will be a deciding factor in whether to watch any particular movie in the future.
The great version of this movie lives in my head. In the meantime, this one is decently entertaining.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2364841/?ref_=rvi_tt
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