High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)

This movie can't make up its mind whether it's a biopic or a gambling drama; it's neither, and it collapses under the strain. Individual scenes are very well written, it does hit the mark when he says "I'd rather blow my **** brains out!", and the foregone ending is well handled. I like the trick of having Death get Stuey to relate his life story in a sort of double flashback, and the casting of Young Stuey is uncanny, he looks like a baby Michael Imperioli. But Imperioli just doesn't look like Ungar, 'The Kid', in any way. This doesn't help the problem that if you know about Ungar's life the film gets it wrong, and if you don't know about Ungar's life it doesn't tell the story very well. The suicide of his other daughter (which is omitted) was probably the one thing that sent him right off the rails, but we never get to examine just why he was so self-destructive: many people's fathers beat them up and they don't become crackheads. Imperioli wasn't exactly miscast, he is very convincing as a louche gambler, but the Ungar storyline is too weak as depicted. And the soundtrack is overdone. This is a watchable TV movie about lowlife, but no more. It might have helped to have got Stu's haircut right, at least you wouldn't keep expecting Johnny Sack to walk in...

This movie is a shameful result of what happens when:A) It is written, directed and produced by an idiot. and/or B) It was rushed in production to satiate the poker/Stu Ungar craze. The story from beginning is uneven. Vidmer spends too much time on Ungar's childhood and not enough on some of the legendary tales -- such as counting cards, his blackjack escapades, the roll of money as id. He also leaves out mentions of other poker greats such as chip reese, brunson etc. The movie is a complete mess from beginning to end. If you want a more complete and accurate account, read the book One of a Kind. If you thought the movie was good, read the book and change your mind.

The basis for this dynamic docudrama is the true story of one of the most extraordinary card players ever.STUEY is a tight, cohesive biopic of a true poker Ace whose life is a one-way trip down the Highway to Hell with few detours.This dramatic feature stands wide apart from other films about poker. It represents a rare and earnest attempt to bring to the silver screen a true story of ultimate gambling compulsion. The complete obsession that annihilates any proximity of spirituality and nullifies any chance of redemption. This is the least likely movie a Vegas Casino executive would recommend. And it is the sole poker DVD you are likely to find on the shelves of Gamblers Annonymous.There are scenes in this movie that poker buffs are sure to refer to as some of the best gambling scenes ever. Stu reading his opponent's hand and, particularly, a Texas hold'em bluffing scene.Prophetically, early on in the movie we see a young Stu bullied out of his pocket change by a bunch of neighborhood hoodlums. Poker is for loners seeking revenge. It is a game of patience which bullies lack. 'You can't bully me!' may very well be an underlying sentiment of the punishing force that a champion poker player unleashes upon his adversaries.Conservatives will look upon this film as a cautionary tale of a soul lost in sin. They may evoke Mark Twain: 'The best throw at dice is to throw them away.' The young and liberal masses will inevitably have a more simplistic and sympathetic outlook. They may not have heard of Twain's quote, but will sure remember a remark made by Stu's stunned pal who learns from up-and-coming Stuey that he'd won a car from a local character in an overnight game. 'You tell'em to go to hell and they look forward to the trip'.The mosaic of Las Vegas vignettes that we see in STUEY will long linger in memory. Frank Sinatra, the most generous tipper? Forget about it! Nobody tips as extravagantly as a hot-shot gambler. And for Vegas visitors who may not know the impact of tipping on the quality of their stay, check out the scene of Stu checking in a Vegas hotel!'This is what i was meant to do, this is where i was to be. Movie stars in Hollywood, politicians in Washington and gamblers in Vegas.'

By many accounts, Stu Ungar was not a very nice guy. He spat on dealers, stiffed people he owed money to, and was verbally abusive. Many filmmakers might choose to sugarcoat the man, making him into some sports hero that would triumph despite adversity. But High Roller doesn't do that. And that's a tough row to hoe.Instead, we have to look VERY closely to see a man that never matured passed the frightened little boy from the streets of New York, despite all his successes. And the only real approval he ever gets is from death himself. Very brave (because people won't get it) and very touching (when you do).What is also brave is the use of a Scorsese feel. "Aha! How derivative," people will say. Really? But there's virtually no violence. And Stuey LOVED gangster movies. Maybe the feel reflects the man Stu and not the director Marty? And if it really is a low budget film and looks that good, bravo!Finally, the linear flashback structure. Wow, will that get hammered. Yet, not only does it work, it works exceptionally well, even for those who don't see the connection to the "Seventh Seal." (PROOF: In SS, Knight plays game of chess with death: In HR, Stuey says "We can play a hand of cards for, ya know"... Death says "Never much good at cards.." Damn great last line.)No tricky effects or camera moves. No shaky camera. Nothing trendy at all. Just solid, tight storytelling.Maybe that makes the movie too basic and somehow flawed. But then again, so was the guy. And that makes it just about right.9/10