Baseshment
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
AutCuddly
Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,
Salubfoto
It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
alexfstu
Nothing to do with Poker, though a great set of actors. Except the main character. No drama, nothing intense. Broken down story. Waste of time in my opinion. Stallone was rather good, surprisingly. But better watch Rounders than waste your time on this one. I missed it when it came out and now I know the reason.
Jay Harris
RKO one of the premiere Hollywood studios prior to 1960 tries for a comeback with this film produced by Merv Griffith.It has a first rate cast headed by Gabriel Byrne, Stuart Towswend & Thandie Newton & featuring, Jamie Foxx,Melanie Griffith,Hal Holbrook & also starring Sylvester Stallone. It is well directed by Damien Neiman. This was his first attempt at directing, he also wrote the screenplay.I am sure he will improve on the writing.So why have we not heard more of this 2003 film, that was released in only on theatre in 2004 for about one month, then released to DVD.This story of Poker Hustlers & con-men has been done too many times by now.It is also not a well written or conceived tale. & it is easy to see why it was not given a decent release.I do not know if the revived RKO studio released any other films in its comeback effort.That is a pity, They made some of the better films, many noir type, Shade tries but misses.However, I did enjoy what I saw, the acting was very good,the direction & other production values were good as well.The story just had too many holes in it. It could have been a case of too many cooks stirring the pot.For a DVD rental it is worth the effort to see it.Ratings: *** (out of 4) 81 points(out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)
ndlejester
That quote says it all really.Shade is the story about one great poker mechanic (Vernon) pitted against the best (The Dean). Then the story gets incredibly tangled and you're not too sure what is really happening until the very end, which throws me for a loop every time I see it. But the crux of this plot is the big poker game with the very best that are around. Our hero, Vernon, gets his buy-in through the financial backing of his partners, Tiffany and Charlie Miller. The game takes place, then starts this domino of events that are just plain absurd, and then we see the truth and pick up our slacked jaws.The way the movie is done reminds me a bit of Pulp Fiction in that the first half of the movie is not straight forward, but sideways we can say. It adds a really neat feel to the movie and kind of keeps you guessing for a while. The club/bar scenes and techno music add a nice flavor to the hustling vibe this movie has, big props for that in my opinion. The acting seems a bit forced for some, especially Tiffany, but otherwise it's a good little flick. I'd say overall somewhere near a 7.75/10, but since there's no fractions I gave it an 8. If you enjoy poker/hustling/Stallone, check this one out.
pacieterra-1
This is an exceptionally stylish movie, loaded with well-known talent. Some, like Sly Stallone, Hal Holbrook, Stuart Townsend, Gabriel Byrne, and Thandie Newton (outstanding!), keep all the grifters in high-stakes poker games entertaining and watchable. Jamie Fox has a smaller role, but does his best with what he's given. The weak link is Melanie Griffith. Although she has done better cinema, and won raves on Broadway for "Chicago," she has little to work with here and is difficult to watch. The various plot twists and interrelationships among the various stars and supporting characters never reveal the final, surprise ending. The range of card tricks and poker maneuvers would never play in Vegas, but they are clever and well-executed. A bonus feature on the DVD illustrates and explains how the actors learned the dynamics of slight-of-hand at the Magic Castle for magicians in Los Angeles.
