CASINO JACK
RYAN: Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey stars in this flick, based on the true story of Jack Abramoff who was a naughty lobbyist in Washington DC.
CAROLINE: I haven’t yet viewed the screener for this and I know you attended a screening a while ago. Now Kevin’s up for a best actor Golden Globe. Did you like him in it?
RYAN: You know, I found him equal parts annoying and enjoyable. I like him overall as an actor. He’s usually very good and I walked away from this picture liking him but he was pretty cheesy in moments.
CAROLINE: I’m sorry. Picture?
RYAN: That’s how fancy people in Hollywood used to refer to movies.
CAROLINE: I know. But we’re not fancy nor are we in Hollywood right now.
RYAN: Here’s the thing about Kevin in this movie – the very thing that most irritated me about his performance I ended up liking. And it’s due to the screenplay. His character quotes movies a lot, which we and many of our friends do for fun but he quotes and does impressions and some just didn’t’ work.
CAROLINE: That’s fair. How was the movie overall?
RYAN: It’s okay. I didn’t love it but I certainly didn’t hate it. I don’t want to give anything specific away but there was one point about halfway through where I thought about walking out because I was bored but then the story turns a corner and it get’s almost Coen-Brothers-exciting and I was hooked from then on.
CAROLINE: That’s cool.
RYAN: Yeah. It just takes a little too long to take off.
CAROLINE: Who else is in it?
RYAN: Well there’s Jon Lovitz.
CAROLINE: Where the hell has he been hiding out?
RYAN: Exactly. But who better to play an out of shape, skeevy character. He’s fine in this. And I don’t mind him sparingly. And there’s also Kelly Preston who I enjoy.
CAROLINE: I wonder how she got in the business. So is this something I have to see?
RYAN: Well I’d say it’s not bad to watch on DVD at home. It’s a little bit of that “I can’t believe this actually happened” like I Love You Phillip Morris… but not as good and not with Ewan McGregor.
CAROLINE: Fair enough.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: It’s just a pretty random but straightforward biopic about a somewhat despicable guy. If you like to see the GG nominated movies and you’re a fan of K.Space, I’d say rent it.
— RATING —
