Shade

The film was well made, very well cast and the theme was appealing enough for me to be greatly entertained. Gabriel Byrne’s role was a perfect fit for him and I also loved the performance of Sylvester Stallone, whom I like much better in these calmer roles of aging gangsters/gamblers than a retired John Rambo or Rocky Balboa. The problem was that the story was too monotonous, I guess I was expecting a slightly livelier plot. (2019-07-11)

Damian Nieman may be a card magician, but his directorial skills belong at a school recital. By the end, it was basically irrelevant who would have whose urine on their clothes, as the card table never once brought the nose out of the shadows of moments when Felix Leiter orders the same thing as Bond, but without the fruit. Is this supposed to be something like The Sting? Given the cast, it only serves to disappoint the audience. (2024-09-23)

A plethora of gorgeous actors in an attractive setting. Another variation of Ocean’s Eleven starring a badass, but again, lacking the necessary quality parameters. (2004-10-27)