Player 5150 (2008)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I have to admit that after reading the users comments from "adyt23" and another terrible review, I went into it without any great expectations and with my finger on the erase button as it was recorded on my PVR(Tivo in the U S). But boy am I glad I didn't erase it and ended up watching the movie!! I don't post many reviews on IMDb as I only post them when I'm am very pleasantly surprised by a movie as I was with this one. I really don't know how anybody could call this a bad movie. I thought it was one of the more memorable movies I've seen in the past few months or so and I highly recommend it. Their were some familiar faces so it was not just a bunch of unknowns in a low budget flick, it may not have had a big budget, but what it did with the finances it did have was put together a really good somewhat suspenseful type drama that involves bookies, gambling, a bit of drugs and all the ingredients that makes these "under the radar" or lesser known types of movies worth watching. The story is about a man played by Etan Embry, who has a serious gambling addiction and the ordeals he goes through to try and make good on his marriage. The events leading up to the final scene in the movie are riveting and I couldn't stop watching as it kept me glued to my seat the entire time. This movie is a hidden gem and as I said earlier, I highly recommend it and it is great from start to finish and boy what an ending it has. It really takes you for a loop but I'll leave it at that.

Joey (Embry) has it all (good job, beautiful wife, good house, etc) including a gambling problem that effects everyone in his life.Some people have the travel gene – they need to go everywhere; some people have the gambling gene – they need to put something on the line…..they get a rush they say. And, some people don't understand those that have the travel and/or the gambling gene. Seems to me that once one has seen almost everything one might get tired of the things one must do to do all that traveling. Apparently not. They still go here and there at the drop of a hat. And, one would also think that those who gamble and do not win as often as they would like would get the message that things are really not going to get better, and in fact they can get a lot worse. That's what this movie is all about.However, if you are going to make a movie about the pitfalls of gambling, don't make the ending all nice like it was all worth it. It really is not worth it, and may give some gamblers false hope that all will be okay later on. That's my only beef with this movie, otherwise it is extremely good.Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes

Avoid this movie at all costs, everything about it is bad, especially the ending which is almost comical.Here's a hint to American film makers who want to make a movie about the world of the gambler. Gambling is legal in many countries, in fact betting (bookie) shops were legalized in the UK in 1961 ! This means that to many audiences the whole notion of the penniless gambler running away from a bookie who wants to break his legs is just an archaic stereotype.The gambling world should be a fountain of stories for movie makers to film. Instead we normally get the dumb and dumbered down type of nonsense that Player 5150 represents.

Player 5150 is a great film for the authenticity it brings to screen. A rare gem in the rough. By comparison to all the special-effect driven overblown budged movies being released today, Player 5150 is a character-driven story that takes you through every range of emotion. David O'Neill (Writer/Director) does a great job inviting you, no daring you, to identify with the main character Joey, (Ethan Embry) who is a compulsive gambler and whose life is about to spin out of control. As you do, you experience a taste of that "unique rush of excitement" that a real gambler feels when they are up and are winning, but when luck runs out, the finality of what it means to lose hits home and the darker side of gambling emerges.Enter Tony (Christopher McDonald) a ruthless no non-sense loan shark. In my opinion, I thought McDonald delivered an award winning performance along with Bob Gunton (Nick) in showing the raw, gritty, and sadistic reality found on the losing side of the coin of gambling. Where gamblers gamble for the thrill and the rush, loan sharks are about greed. As you travel along at 200 mph with Joey in the fast-lane of a gambler's life, McDonald is the proverbial brick-wall-reality-check smiling sadistically back at you as you slam into him. A gripping performance was delivered also by Kathleen Robertson (Ali), who played Joey's wife giving us insight on what it is like being in love with someone who has a self-destructive addiction. My only criticism would be about the ending. I felt that this movie could have had any number of endings and it would have been alright, but it seemed like an ending couldn't be decide upon so they creatively worked them all in somehow. For me, it made the ending fuzzy and gray instead of a bold clear contrast which made the rest of the movie gripping and powerful.As an overall experience, I enjoyed watching the movie very much. It kept you constantly leaning forward in anticipation of what would happen next. If you enjoy fast-pace action-drama and character-driven stories, then highly recommend Player 5150 as it delivers.