Rating: 
Summary: Devastating movie!
Review:
The progressive ethic pulverization and moral deconstructing of a gambler is showed with all the possible intensity and merciless realism . Extraordinary psychological approach in this introspective being human who observes with cold blood how his world falls around him,
Chilling script and towering performance by Seymour Hoffman consolidate him as one of the most solid actors in the American Cinema. Every step and little movement will let you astonished. Hoffman appears the ninety nine per cent film's running time so consider the unbearable emotional tension in every bet and the histamine will emerge from your own pores.
Simply outstanding!
Rating: 
Summary: Hoffman and Hurt in well done true-to-life gambling film
Review: Owning Mahowny stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a Canadian banker who makes $22,000 Canadian and embezzles millions so he can blow it all in Atlantic City. I've seen a few gambling films and this is the one to see. In this true story from the early 1980s Mahowny has a girlfriend in Minner Driver who sticks with him in spite of his gambling problem. It's kind of like Leaving Las Vegas in that his girlfriend sticks with him unconditionally.
The thrill he gets from gambling he rates a 100, compared to anything else in his life which he rates a 20. When he walks into John Hurt's Casino in Atlantic City Hurt uses every possible psychological trick to catch the "whale". He has his most beautiful hostess keep Mahowny's dinner on stand-by. He sends up the sexiest hooker in the place, and he has a kitchen worker "stick with him". But Mahowny doesn't care about any of it...he's the "Iceman" who only cares about gambling. Meanwhile he gets through a bank audit and seems homefree until the Canadian authorities get wise. His bookie is played by Maury Chaykin, yes, the guy who always looks like a sleezeball.
But John Hurt is what really makes this film cool, as the cool Casino manager who's always on top of things: he reassures the owner when Mahowny's way up, "ask me how we're doing at 4AM".
I guess that's what's least understandable to people about gambling addicts...even if they're winning big they never just walk away. But it also depicts what a Casino will do for a whale: any desire fulfilled.
Rating:
Summary: sad and haunting
Review: "Some folks believe that everyone has a public life, a private life and a secret life."These are the opening words of "Owning Mahowny," a fascinating real-life tale of a compulsive gambler whose life falls to pieces when he begins embezzling funds from the bank where he works in order to feed his obsession. Dan Mahowny's "secret life" became public in the early 1980's when he was finally arrested and convicted on charges of bank theft. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who has made a career out of playing sad sack, tormented souls, gives one of his richest performances to date as Mahowny, a mild-mannered man caught in the grip of that compulsive sickness known as gambling addiction. Minnie Driver plays his devoted girlfriend who loves Dan dearly but who cannot bear to stand by and watch helplessly as he slowly but inexorably destroys his life. If the film were only about Mahowny's gambling problem, it would be no different from countless TV movies made on the same subject. What sets this film apart is the way in which writer Maurice Chauvet (working off the original novel by Gary Stephen Ross) and director Richard Kwietniowski make the background of the story as compelling as the foreground. The astute, observant script focuses as much on the ins and outs of the casino and gambling worlds as it does on the personal travails of its main character. Particularly intriguing is the way in which high rollers are followed and coddled by the casino owners using both high tech equipment like cameras and monitors as well as plain old-fashioned flattery, obsequiousness and deceit. John Hurt, in a brilliant performance, plays a smarmy casino operator in Atlantic City who will stop at nothing to make Mahowny feel at home in his establishment - all for the purpose of having his new found "friend" gamble away a fortune at his tables, of course. The film is, in fact, filled with interesting side characters, including a sympathetic bellhop, who befriends Dan and who tries to convince him to leave the casino he happens to work for; several of the petty loan sharks with whom Dan finds himself inextricably connected; and a whole host of law enforcement officials whose job it is to bring Dan in on grand theft felony charges. The filmmakers have taken a laid back, subtle approach to their material. They allow the story to develop slowly, offering us the chance to get to know Mahowny and his world at an unhurried, leisurely pace. Since Mahowny is, himself, such a secretive, quiet character, it is appropriate that the film that bears his name should also reflect that quality of muted sadness in its pacing and tone. Towards the end, however, once the authorities begin moving in for the kill and we sense the inevitable grip of Fate tightening around this strangely likable character, the film becomes both highly suspenseful and immensely moving at one and the same time. What's fascinating is that we are always one step ahead of Mahowny in our understanding of what is about to befall him. As in all great tragedies, it is the Cassandra-like burden placed on the audience - that of being able to see the future with no hope of doing anything to prevent it - that gives the film its air of pervasive sadness. "Owning Mahowny" is a beautifully written, directed and acted film that opens up for us a strange and fascinating world.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Portrait of a Gambler Straddling Two Worlds
Review: Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a capable upwardly mobile assistant bank manager by day and a hard-core gambling addict every other hour of his life. He'll place bets on anything, even teams he's never heard of in sports he doesn't know. When his debts to a local bookie threaten to shut down his credit line, Dan turns to the obvious source of funds: the bank. He forges business loan applications, borrows on his clients' credit lines, and strings it along by covering the activity on those accounts with bearer bonds drawn on false accounts. This shell game provides Dan with enough cash to win and lose very high stakes at casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But it's only a matter of time before phantom clients, overdrawn accounts, and missing money catch up with him. "Owning Mahowny" is based on a book called "No Limit" (or alternatively, "Stung") written by Gary Ross about Canada's notorious gambling man, Brian Molony. Brian Molony served 6 years in prison for fraud after he used his position as assistant manager in a Toronto bank to defraud the bank of $10 million in order to fund his gambling addiction, between 1980 and 1982. This true story has been admirably adapted for the screen. The details of Mahowny's financial slight-of-hand could easily bog the narrative down. But the film concentrates on creating a compelling character study of a smart man who stupidly and compulsively gambles for its own sake without even regard for winning or losing. Director Richard Kwietniowski effectively uses images to contrast the subcultures of the bank and the casino and to make them seem like self-contained worlds which both revolve around money, in spite of their considerable differences. Without being told, we get a strong impression that banks run strictly according to the clock, whereas time doesn't exist in casinos. Cinematographer Oliver Curtis impresses by giving the edges of his images so much attention. I was struck by how well he uses the entire frame to communicate. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives another fine performance, which will probably prove to be one of the year's best. Minnie Driver and John Hurt are also memorable as Dan's girlfriend and the manager of an Atlantic City casino, respectively. Insight into competition between Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos is a detail which I particularly enjoyed, and, true to form, it is revealed through the emotions of the characters. "Owning Mahowny" is one of the best films I've seen in 2003. Every scene, every shot, and every piece of dialogue are perfectly chosen and executed. And it manages to create suspense even though it's obvious from the beginning how the story will end. Highly recommended. The DVD doesn't have any bonus features.
Rating:
Summary: Monei
Review: First it is a movie about the fascinating and complex world of money. Of making money, of transferring money, of turning nothing into money. The protagonist, consistent in his flat play throughout the movie convinces me enough to follow the plot beginning to end. If there is something I would criticize it would be the fact that the writer assumes we know more about the world of finance. If not, he assumes the plotline is too interesting. Because what does make this story good is the mechanisms Mahoney employs to actually make money - and if I don't understand them, I lose something. But overall, a commendable film, not about your everyday subject, and admirably carried out.
Rating: 
Summary: IF YOU LIKE HOFFMAN THEN YEAH...MAYBE
Review: Focuses more on the financial aspect of the money laundering scheme Mr Mahowny was running than anything else, doesn't deal with the couple's relationship and/or Mr Mahowny's gambling problem.
Rating: 
Summary: don't. Just don't.
Review: I don't understand the critics. This movie SUCKED. The whole time I was watching, I just wanted to leave. Phillip Seymore Hoffman was such a drag! It was like watching a train wreck... you sat there thinking "This guy can't really be THIS stupid, can he?" and he'd prove you wrong, over and over again. What a tragedy. Minnie Driver looked awful. You wont' even recognize her. Skip this flick, it's so not worth it... and the critics who saw it and praised it? We must have seen two different flicks, because the one I saw sucked bawlz.
Rating:
Summary: Gambling habit takes hold of a nice guy. Big problem!
Review: I think that Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the finest and most versatile actors around. And this 2003 film based on a true story certainly proves it. He's cast as Dan Mahowny, an unassuming bank employee in Toronto. Dan has a gambling problem - a big one. And when he is pressed to cover his losses of about $10,000 at the track, he uses his job as assistant manager at the bank to embezzle the money. Then, once he realizes how easy this is, he siphons off some more cash and heads down to Atlantic City. His habit escalates as does his crimes and soon he's carrying bankrolls of $500,000 or more and losing it all in frenzied weekends. His girlfriend, played by Minnie Driver is confused and tries to help him. The casino owner, played by John Hurt, gives him lots of perks and tries to separate him from more and more cash. Dan Mahowny's life becomes increasingly complicated and within a few months he has stolen $10.2 million from his bank. The story is paced so that it all seems possible. We see the gambler at his trade and way the habit takes hold of him. He plays all the casino games and, even when he might be ahead for a while, will always throw his winnings back on the tables. I found myself feeling sorry for the man and loving him at the same time. His performance comes across as so real and immediate that I just wanted to put my hands on his shoulders and shake him into reality. The sense of place is perfect too. The world of the casinos compared with the world of the quiet bank is an excellent contrast. Through it all he remains an unassuming nice guy and it's easy to see why his girlfriend is willing to stay with him. I really loved this simple story and feel it is one of the most excellent films ever made about compulsive gambling. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Gambling habit takes hold of a nice guy. Big problem!
Review: I think that Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the finest and most versatile actors around. And this 2003 film based on a true story certainly proves it. He's cast as Dan Mahowny, an unassuming bank employee in Toronto. Dan has a gambling problem - a big one. And when he is pressed to cover his losses of about $10,000 at the track, he uses his job as assistant manager at the bank to embezzle the money. Then, once he realizes how easy this is, he siphons off some more cash and heads down to Atlantic City. His habit escalates as does his crimes and soon he's carrying bankrolls of $500,000 or more and losing it all in frenzied weekends. His girlfriend, played by Minnie Driver is confused and tries to help him. The casino owner, played by John Hurt, gives him lots of perks and tries to separate him from more and more cash. Dan Mahowny's life becomes increasingly complicated and within a few months he has stolen $10.2 million from his bank. The story is paced so that it all seems possible. We see the gambler at his trade and way the habit takes hold of him. He plays all the casino games and, even when he might be ahead for a while, will always throw his winnings back on the tables. I found myself feeling sorry for the man and loving him at the same time. His performance comes across as so real and immediate that I just wanted to put my hands on his shoulders and shake him into reality. The sense of place is perfect too. The world of the casinos compared with the world of the quiet bank is an excellent contrast. Through it all he remains an unassuming nice guy and it's easy to see why his girlfriend is willing to stay with him. I really loved this simple story and feel it is one of the most excellent films ever made about compulsive gambling. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Could Have been Great
Review: Let me preface this by saying that I'd read "Stung" years ago and found it incredible. I was very disappointed with the movie. At the time I read the book, I thought it would make a wonderful movie, and expected one when I read news that this movie, though small in budget, would be made, and done so with a cast including Hoffman and Hurt. Hoffman is great as always, required to act like a degenerate gambler without being able to say much because of what I believe was a debilitating script. Hoffman adopts a realistic Canadian accent and was made to look the part accurately -- even as accurate as the food in which he liked to indulge. Hurt, however, is a joke. He's supposed to play some kind of host/casino exec/pit boss -- neither of whom I'm sure he's ever met in his life and neither of whom in the book was enveloped into the machismo of a character he portrays. I think so highly of Hurt as an actor, that I'm inclined to blame the script for any of his scene's shortcomings. Exchanges between Hurt's character and that of Hoffman's could have been majestic (think how great Hurt was in Contact and in Rob Roy), but the script rendered Hurt just ordinary, sometimes over-the-top, and left Hoffman to rely on a more physical presence. The best exchanges are between Hoffman's character and his bookie, but they are few and far between. What's good? The story itself. The conflicted, chaotic rage you sense in Hoffman at all times. The movie looks good, and the casino shots are realistic when you take into consideration that the movie takes place in the early 80's and the casino is in Atlantic City. Very little character development is illustrated (at the bank and in the personal home-life of Mahoney for examples), and any insight into the pathological condition exhibited by 'Mahoney' is done mostly through Hoffman's incredible acting. There's little imagery and even less detail with respect to the casino play. For example: There's a scene in the movie where Mahoney is playing Craps. He's clearly on a great roll. He hits his point, and the whole table goes nuts. He's got a gazillion dollars worth of chips in front of him and then proceeds to roll a whole bunch of crap numbers before re-establishing a new point. He starts losing all his Pass Line bets because of the 2,3's and 12's he's rolling, but you don't see that.. you only hear it because of the dealers' chatter. So, people start leaving the table and the sense of the scene now is that the roll is done for and that Mahoney is going to go hit a horrible losing streak. Anyone who's ever played craps knows that this is utter nonsense. If you haven't played craps, or are not much of a casino patron, you will understand the essence of the scene either way, but be aware that it was a horrible and dishonest sell. Mahoney never made a monster Pass Line bet without hedging it on a prop bet. This wouldn't bother me so much if the movie hadn't been about casino gambling. In any case, the movie's 'feel' is good, but the writing of the screenplay was just too weak in my view. I wish the movie would have given the audience some credit and made it a full 2 hours so to ensure that as much detail from the book could be adapted. I also wish the DVD had some features that would have compenstated the viewer and ultimately, the consumer. Final verdict: I'd rent it at best.
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