Shade (2003)

Two scam artists (Gabriel Byrne, Thandie Newton) attempt to break into the big time world of high stakes poker. They lure a third partner, a card sharp (Stuart Townsend), into joining them. But they're in over their heads ..... or are they? A real sleeper, this taut little crime thriller is fairly clever, always entertaining and lots of fun. It's sort of a "Tarantino Meets The Cincinnati Kid". It helps if one knows poker but it's not necessary (I play occasionally but I'm certainly not a pro). The tension vibes the poker scenes give off are strong enough to to hold one's interest even if one is not familiar with the ins and outs of the game itself. The director/screenwriter Damian Nieman (whose only film this is) injects some dark humor into the proceedings which keeps the film moving along nicely and only the sequence with Hal Holbrook as an aging magician slows the film down. The film's final "sting" is pretty obvious but it doesn't hurt the film. There's a nice turn by a remarkably restrained Sylvester Stallone as a legendary poker player the scam artists try to take down. The rhythmic score by James Johnzen aids the film enormously. Curiously, the film begins with the RKO logo (updated for the 21st century). With Jamie Foxx, Melanie Griffith, Dina Merrill, Bo Hopkins and Ted Hartley.