EVEN MONEY (2007) ** Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, Ray Liotta, Forest Whitaker, Tim Roth, Jay Mohr, Kelsey Grammar, Nick Cannon, Carla Gugino, Grant Sullivan,Carson Brown, Cassandra Hepburn (Dir: Mark Rydell)

Double or Nothing: Big Gamble on Fine Cast in Otherwise Craps Film

Gambling is an addiction that, like drug abuse or alcoholism, affects not only the one perpetuating the disease but also those around them including their loved ones. In this melodramatic attempt at showing the ills of the so-called gambling lifestyle (an oxymoron come to think of it) then the odds are against the viewer in this hodgepodge of dramatic vignettes.

Intertwined throughout this CRASH-like narrative are Carol Carver (Basinger, acting up a storm here),a novelist struggling to find her second novel but fritters her afternoons away in a local casino overwhelmed with guilt at having her family's life savings nearly completely lost at her bad luck; Walter (De Vito, one of the film's producers to boot),a down-and-out slight-of-hand magician who thinks he can get back in the lime-light and takes Carol under his wing in helping her get back her lost monies ; Clyde Snow (Whitaker, equally giving a run for his money acting up to a full-bodied sweat, a hard-working plumber who wagers too high on his younger brother Godfrey (Cannon),a skilled high school basketball player with dreams of the NBA in his brilliant future; Augie and Murph (Mohr and Sullivan, respectively),a pair of small-time bookies who take their anger out on the welchers with quick brutal beatings; and Victor (Roth hamming it up to the hilt) as an oily big-time bookie who may be guilty in a series of murders of his competition.

Also on hand are Liotta as Basinger's English lit teaching husband whose patience is growing weary thinking his wife is having an affair and their tween daughter Claudia (Brown) rebelling with her budding sexuality; Veronica (Gugino),a doctor and girlfriend to Murph who isn't aware (at first) of her beloved's violent tendencies; and Detective Brunner (Grammer in some unwisely recommended facial make-up prostheses),investigating the string of murders and the lure of a mysterious gangster/red herring named Ivan.

The scattershot screenplay by newcomer Robert Tannen is all over the place and while it gets the duh point of gambling is bad for you the flat direction by vet Rydell (ON GOLDEN POND) leaves his actors grasping for air like fish out of water. The odds for the viewer to be entertained are decidedly craps.

I've noticed that in the 21st century, there's been a surge in movies portraying several people who, although they may never meet, are all connected by something: "Traffic", "Syriana", "Fast Food Nation" and "Babel". Now, there's also Mark Rydell's "Even Money", depicting several people linked by gambling addictions. There's Carolyn Carver (Kim Basinger),a writer ignoring her family and spending all her time in the casino with prestidigitator Walter Markowitz (Danny DeVito); Clyde Snow (Forest Whitaker),a handyman trying to help his son become a basketball player; and Augie (Jay Mohr),who has taken some very wrong turns in his life. But in control of everything is slime-ball Victor (Tim Roth),intent on rigging the upcoming basketball game.

I should say that I didn't find this movie to be as good as the aforementioned intertwined-story films, as the aforementioned ones dealt more with political issues. But I thought that it was worth seeing as a look at the underbelly of life in general (is that a lame description?). And an ugly look at things it certainly is. Victor is one guy whom you hope that you never have to meet, but it's still possible to admire him somewhat. At times, every one of the characters made my skin crawl just a little bit.

All in all, an OK movie. Also starring Ray Liotta as Kim Basinger's husband, Kelsey Grammar as a detective, and director Rydell at the end.

PS: Mark Rydell also directed Bette Midler's movies "The Rose" and "For the Boys".

Kim Basinger gives a wonderful performance here as a gambling addicted woman whose habit threatens to destroy her marriage. She was far better here than her supporting Oscar performance years back for "LA Confidential."

Nice to see Ray Liotta get away from his tough guy gangster image, and play of all things a college professor fed up with his wife's propensity to gamble.

The film shows what gambling can do and ultimately it ties the entire cast of several people addicted to it, to a once in a life-time way to make a lot of money to see it only fall flat.

Forest Whitaker plays a gambler shaving points and forced to get his younger brother to throw a major basketball game. Whitaker, though, is his usual self. He acts often as if he is in pain.

Danny DeVito does what he likes best in this film- the ability to con people. He is off the wall here, but gives a good performance as the shrewd person.

This story is basically about people trying to stay afloat despite their gambling addictions.