Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
Roxie
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Cristal
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
dbborroughs
When an intruder is found in the house during the weekly poker game the buddies end up killing him. Deciding not to call the police they dump the body and swear secrecy. Unfortunately things turn deadly in the aftermath as someone starts looking for revenge and past misdeeds start to be aired. On top of that the body the thought was well hidden is discovered by the police… This is a good little thriller that moves along at a good clip. Its brief running time, its about 80 minutes assures that things keep moving. The brevity also works against the film in some ways since there are times when some of the characters get lost, I had to pause to think about who was whom since the names to faces didn't seem to really stick with me. Worth seeing as a rental or on cable. Between 6 and 7 out of 10
MichaelRodrick
"The Poker Club", which I saw at a film festival, examines the bad choices we make when we take our life for granted, and shows how they can come back to haunt us. It is a thriller that, for the most part, keeps a strong momentum going, and has a lively cast of characters (although it is an unrealistically good looking group). It's a lot of fun to watch, is not going to strain anyone's braincells, but is much more emotionally involving than most films of this kind. Judy Reyes, who is from the TV show Scrubs, plays a detective. It's a much different role for her, and she gives a standout performance. Also, Lori Huering is very impressive.
hausrathman
Johnathon Schaech does that thing he does best playing Aaron Tyler, who hosts of a weekly poker game of his old friends. The game is interrupted by the appearance of a burglar, whose death leads everyone into a devastating spiral of treachery and deceit. The film takes some rather surprising liberties with the Ed Gorman novel, but it works on its own level thanks to the sure-handed direction of Tim McCann and the cast. Aside from the always reliable Schaech, I particularly enjoyed Johnny Messner as a cynical former baseball player, now a strip club owner, and Judy Reyes. It was good seeing her outside of her Scrubs. (Not that we see her completely out of her Scrubs, if you know what I mean.) Well worth a look.
Larrondo
I've been a fan of Tim McCann for a long time, an underrated, cult director who always brings a gritty, realistic edge to his films. While this is a more conventional story than the brooding, psychological Runaway, or the insane, disturbing, genre-bending Nowhere Man, the snappy direction and some nice performances elevate this crime drama. A few of the plot developments require a little willing suspension of disbelief, but that's often the case in these 'Hitchcockian' thrillers. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised, and happy to see the charismatic Loren Dean and a good jittery performance by McCann stalwart Michael Risley.
