646f9e108c A nosy cab driver gets a hot tip on a race horse and wins big, but he can't seem to stop gambling. Will he go broke or walk home with a pretty penny? An average kind of guy who has a slight problem with gambling goes to the track, and mystically, it seems as though he can't lose, no matter how he bets; and he has an incredible day. This film just makes you feel good when you watch it. You identify one way or another with Richard Dreyfuss, who plays the down on his luck gambler who wishes for one last lucky streak. The supporting cast is a great collection of colorful characters. Jennifer Tilly and David Johansen especially help keep this movie rolling. At a running time of only 90 minutes it doesn't really lag and it's genuinely funny. Watching this movie makes you wish you had Trotter's luck. Bottom Line: A competent comedy that keeps it's charm even after repeated viewings. Worth having in the collection. This movie is to Richard Dreyfus what "Slapshot" is to Paul Newman. Almost constantly hysterical, the movie captures the oddball characters at the track and at the bar perfectly. (No surprise there - the cast is a virtual who's who of the great character actors of that time!) Dreyfus turns in an over-the-top performance that somehow is not overdone. Catch a pre - "Sex and the City" Cynthia Nixon as the naive Evangeline and Robbie Coltrane as the grizzled betting window teller. You really should buy or rent the DVD instead of settling for the broadcast version. If you have a free Saturday night this would be a good double feature with "Tin Men". Joe Pytka does display an occasional nice touch with mood and atmosphere - at its infrequent best, the humor here is almost wry. But his editing is as jumpy as a mare in heat. [19 Aug 1989]
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344 weeks ago