“Casino Jack” — Mathew DeKinder (Suburban Journals)
So often when someone’s name becomes a headline their identity as a person tends to fade into the background.
Such was the case with Jack Abramoff, a man whose name became synonymous with “evil lobbyist” and who went on to confirm basically everything we had ever assumed about the morally-ambiguous profession.
The movie “Casino Jack” attempts to find the man behind the “jerk-who-got-what-was-coming-to-him” sentiments, and while the results are mixed, it does provide an interesting window into the heights of corruption of the Bush years.
Read the rest of the review here....
“Casino Jack” – Cate Marquis (Marquee By Marquis)
Maybe director George Hickenlooper was thinking that if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry.
Hickenlooper’s film about convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, “Casino Jack,” is essentially a comedy, rather than the outraged drama one would typically expect for a re-telling of a big Washington corruption scandal. By focusing on the whole climate of too-cozy lobbyist-Congressional dealings and presenting Abramoff, played with sly, winking style by Kevin Spacey, as both self-deluded and arrogantly self-confident, Hickenlooper makes the most sympathetic movie one could make about the convicted lobbyist.
Read the entire review at...
“Casino Jack” – Kent Tentschert/Carol Hemphill (Reelworld)
Kent’s Take:
“Casino Jack” recounts the sad tale of Jack Abramoff and his extravagant world of influence, favors and funds.
Similar to watching a train wreck, this film is easy to follow and hooks viewers from the opening scene. We know Abramoff can’t and won’t sustain this charade, but you also wonder how far he will fall and who he will take with him.
Carol’s Take:
Many movie fans share the view that Kevin Spacey can do no wrong. With strong material, the actor never fails to shine. With less satisfying material… well, the Oscar winner still sparkles.
Spacey (who also co-produces) is perfectly cast as the eccentric... Bookmark Us
