Runner Runner

Set in the world of online gambling, Runner Runner stars Justin Timberlake as Richie Furst, a mathematically adept Princeton grad student who used to work on Wall Street but (unlike his bosses) lost everything in the 2008 meltdown. Now he collects a commission for directing fellow Ivy Leaguers to a poker website. Following a cease-and-desist threat of expulsion from Dean Monroe (Bob Gunton), Richie bets his tuition bankroll on a round of digital Texas Hold ‘Em—which, against all odds, he loses. Believing he's been swindled, Richie travels to Costa Rica to confront the online poker company's CEO, Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), who conveniently lives offshore and outside federal jurisdiction. Ivan offers Richie a lucrative job, ostensibly grooming him as a protégé. Also on hand is flirtatious Rebecca (Gemma Arterton), who may or may not be Ivan's exclusive arm candy. Before long, Richie grows suspicious of his devious, obviously corrupt boss, and when an FBI agent (Anthony Mackie) pressures him to turn informant to take down Ivan on criminal charges, he is faced with a high-stakes moral dilemma. Unfortunately, director Brad Furman's film suffers from a sketchy, stilted, and contrived script. Optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (11 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “House of Cards: The Inside Story of Online Poker” featurette (17 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)