"Adding emphasis on the homo-ness of their lucrative bond are the repeated instances where the interference of women breaks both their concentration and their hot streaks." - Eric Henderson

Altman's entry in the gambling movie canon boasts his typical style of dramaturgy - the text is loosely delivered and achieves a naturalistic if somewhat bumbling effect. Despite the stylistic looseness, or more probably because of it, it eventually gets tautly uneasy. The mere fact that inside the Casino, lady luck shines on the very foolhardy protagonists, who are losers outside of it, seems wrong and fills the viewer with a fatalistic dread of pending karmic backlash.

Interesting Altman film about gambling.

983

If there's one thing Altman does better than any director it's creating a living breathing community onscreen. In this case, it's the gambling community in 70s California and Nevada. Elliot Gould and George Segal benefit from Altman's loose jazzy style, and the movie is engrossing and puts you in a gambler's shoes. If there's any criticism of the film, it's that it's ultimately insubstantial --but from moment to moment, it's a knockout.

This film is a perfect showcase for everything that makes Robert Altman who he is: it prefers to study characters rather than focus on plots, it's loaded with overlapping dialogue and it feels alive. I had a huge damn smile on my face through the whole thing watching Gould (who used to be the best) and Segal. I felt like I knew these guys forever and like I was just hanging out with them for 105 minutes. For Altman fans, for New Hollywood fans, it doesn't get much better than this.

Altman's greatest film and the greatest film about gambling.

One of Altman's lesser-known films, about a pair of compulsive gamblers. Awash with his signature improvisational acting and people talking all over each other, it's also got kind of a Cassavetes fly-on-the-wall feel to it. But I didn't think it had much spark to it, only a few moments really stand out and the rest feels like treading water. However, the killer ending is unexpected and fulfulling. Elliot Gould exudes charisma as usual, George Segal is a bit stiff.

Trademark Altman. It's funny, it's tense, occasionally disorienting but always engaging. Something felt off to me about Segal but Gould was gold and the dialogue was excellent. Superb ending too.

An honest depiction of the situation and some killer chemistry from Segal/Gould. Great early Altman.

968