Two For The Money (F/S)

TWO FOR THE MONEY, featuring Al Pacino, Rene Russo, and Matthew McConaughey, provides a most unexpected twist in its thrilling tale of high rolling bookie cons and sports gamblers. Brandon Lang (McConaughey) stars as a college football great permanently downed by an irreparable injury. He discovers a second talent, however, in predicting a games winner and loser a talent that makes him very attractive to Walter Abrams (Pacino), one of the countrys leading sports betting consultants. Abrams takes on Lang as his protigi, moving him to Manhattan and allowing him to grow used to the lavish lifestyle. But, the seemingly perfect father/son relationship gradually unravels as Lang loses his touch and Abrams seeks too much control. The ensuing action, enrapturing even Abrams wife Toni (Russo), resolves in a stunning revelation of con after con, leaving viewers to wonder whom to trust.

Directed by D.J. Caruso (TAKING LIVES, THE SALTON SEA), TWO FOR THE MONEY is not the first time Al Pacino has played mentor to a protigi. In similar films such as ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and SCENT OF A WOMAN, Pacino brings to bear the commandeering and charismatic personality that made him so great in THE GODFATHER and SCARFACE. The understated performances by the rest of the cast allow Pacino to shine, and to make believable Abrams manipulation and Langs naiveti. Combining the intriguing and often illegal world of sports gambling with the solid story of con against con, TWO FOR THE MONEY makes for a satisfying thriller.