Runner, Runner Review

Rated R (Language and Some Sexual Content)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 31 Minutes

Cast-

Justin Timberlake-Richie Furst

Ben Affleck-Ivan Block

Gemma Arterton-Rebecca Shafran

Anthony Mackie-FBI Agent Shavers

John Heard-Harry Furst

Michael Esper-Billy 'Pet' Petricoff

Oliver Cooper-Andrew Cronin

Christian George-Wilson

Yul Vazquez-Delegate Herrera

James Molina-Esteban

Louis Lombardi-Archie

Vincent Laresca-Sergeant Barrancas

Sam Palladio-Shecky

Bob Gunton-Dean Alex Monroe

David Costabile-Professor Horstein

Directed by Brad Furman

"Wait a minute, so you're actually Batman?"

Note: Screened on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at AMC Empire 25.

Do people even gamble online anymore? Last time I checked, it was illegal as per the 'Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006,' a measure that was hastily tacked on to the SAFE Port Act (which regulated port security) at the last minute and signed into law by then-President George W. Bush seven years ago but according to Brad Furman's latest film, "Runner, Runner," it's currently a raging epidemic on college campuses. Perhaps it's set before 2006. Then again, it doesn't even matter what year it takes place in given how bland and by-the-numbers this film is. The only saving grace is the timely casting, with lead actor Justin Timberlake coming off of two blockbuster album releases ("The 20/20 Experience" 1 and 2) and his co-star Ben Affleck recently cast as the latest Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 2015 "Man of Steel" sequel, tentatively titled "Batman vs. Superman." Other than that, "Runner, Runner" doesn't have much to offer besides a brief ninety running time. There are some nifty visual flourishes and the premise has potential but Furman fails to capitalize on it, resulting in a generically-made crime thriller that generates little in the way of suspense and is instantly forgettable despite its impeccable cast.

With his career on Wall Street stalling in the midst of the 2008 meltdown, Ritchie Furst (Justin Timberlake) decides to return to New Jersey's Princeton University in order to pursue his master's degree in finance. He pays for his ever-increasing tuition bills by working as a recruiter for online gambling sites, enticing fellow students and even professors to sign up and drain away their life savings. When the school's dean, Alex Monroe (Bob Gunton), gets wind of this, he threatens the smooth-talking student with expulsion. Already heavily in debt, Ritchie decides to risk everything he has in his bank account on a round of virtual poker but loses…badly. He immediately suspects that someone cheated him, with his suspicions confirmed when a computer expert on campus reveals that the winner had the odds to win four lotteries in a row. To get his money back, Ritchie flies down to Costa Rica to confront the website's multi-millionaire owner, Ivan Block (Ben Affleck). An impressed Ivan offers Ritchie a full refund and a position within his company as well. Quitting school on the spot, Ritchie becomes Block's trusted protégé and is quickly drawn into a world of easy money, fast cars, and loose women while also falling in love with Rebecca Shafran (Gemma Arterton), Ivan's former girlfriend-turned-business advisor. However, the young man soon finds himself in way over his head when an FBI agent named Shavers (Anthony Mackie) comes knocking on his door and reveals that the online gambling magnate is a fraud. Ritchie must now try to outsmart Ivan if he is to escape unscathed.

Back in 1998, writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien explored the underground world of high-stakes poker in the cult hit "Rounders," so a film set against the backdrop of online gambling isn't that far removed from their wheelhouse. Unfortunately, the script they've come up with for "Runner, Runner" is utterly forgettable, and pretty much goes in one ear and out the other. Given its subject matter revolves around a game of risk, its rather ironic to see the story here play it safe. Every plot point is telegraphed well in advance and the whole affair is just so predictable that it saps what little suspense it has. The film's problems don't end there, however, with the dialogue often coming off as too trite to be taken seriously thanks to such gems like 'you're either bred for it, or you bleed for it.' It also tries to come off as sophisticated by throwing around a bunch of complicated poker and mathematical terms (short-term variance, standard deviation) but doesn't display a clue as to what they actually mean. Hell, even the jokes are groan-inducing. Ivan Block calls his luxury yacht 'The House' because 'the house always wins.' I bet Koppelman and Levien thought they were real clever when they came up with that line.

The biggest issue with "Runner, Runner" is that it's morally confused. Apparently, we're supposed to root for Ritchie yet how can we when it's plainly obvious that Ivan is a shady character to begin with. What's even more puzzling is that Ritchie seems perfectly content with doing whatever Ivan asks of him, making his change-of-heart midway through the film jarring to say the least. The fact that he had to resort to blackmail in order to get a client to sell to Block is already a red flag but Ritchie remains completely oblivious. By the time he's forced to 'do the right thing,' it's simply out of self-preservation. The film tries to raise the emotional stakes by having Ivan tighten his grip on Ritchie by buying his father's (John Heard) debt but there's never a sense that they're in any danger due to the awfully restrained, PG-13 violence. When Ritchie is beaten up by a couple of thugs, he looks no worse for the wear besides a tiny scratch on his face. Ivan, who twirls his invisible mustache like a cheesy Bond villain, has his own posse of grunts but favors throwing people who cross him into a crocodile-infested den over blunt force. I was half expecting him to reveal that he has a giant laser orbiting the planet! A perfunctory romance is thrown in and the script lamely positions Ivan as being no different to those who work on Wall Street yet all this fails to add much to a film that's already going nowhere. Furman does add some stylistic flourishes, placing the camera on Ritchie's face as he slowly looks around in awe and takes in the glitz and glamour of the world Ivan lives in. Other than that, "Runner, Runner" just blandly goes through the motions.

Justin Timberlake may sell millions of music albums around the world but his acting skills definitely need some refinement. While he showed promise in 2010's "The Social Network" and managed to land a few solid laughs in 2011's "Bad Teacher," the singer never feels entirely comfortable with the material he's given here and comes across as overly earnest at times. The man does have an inherent likability when placed in front of a camera. However, I feel his talents are better suited for supporting or comedic roles. As the smarmy Ivan Block, Ben Affleck is fine yet one can detect a slight hint of boredom with his half-hearted performance. The future Batman actor just doesn't drum up the necessary amount of malice to make the character truly menacing. Failing to add anything to the film's plot is Gemma Arterton. She's a beautiful actress and the wardrobe that's provided for her drives home this fact but all she does is smile and pout while batting her eyes at Timberlake. The two have about as much chemistry as two rocks, leaving the romance aspect limp and frankly, a waste of time. Anthony Mackie also pops in for a couple of scenes, screaming and shouting his way through the picture as an FBI agent hell-bent on nailing Block.

Released on October 4, 2013, "Runner, Runner" has received overwhelmingly negative reviews with a mere 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'it has an impressive cast and an intriguing premise, but [the film] wastes them on a bland, haphazardly assembled thriller with very little payoff.' Competing against Alfonso Cuarón's critically-acclaimed sci-fi drama "Gravity," the box office prospects for Furman's picture appear low, with 20th Century Fox estimating a debut of only $10 to $12 million. That's disappointing given the star power behind the film. The equivalent of a shrug, "Runner, Runner" isn't one of the worst films of the year but it's just so bland and generic, with a script that's completely absent of any danger or moral complexity. A royal flush it isn't.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

"This is your job. You want a clear conscience, go start a charity. But if you want your own island and your boss says you gotta go out there and take a beating, you go out there, take it and come back to work and say, 'Do you need me to do it again?!'"