Movie Review: Saint John of Las Vegas

Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Synopsis: After a run of bad luck, John, a compulsive gambler, runs away from Las Vegas and toward a normal job and life. Taking a nondescript position in an auto insurance company in Albuquerque, he tries to get ahead in the straight world, amid the ever-present temptations of scratch-off lotto tickets. When his boss, Mr. Townsend, asks John to accompany his top fraud debunker, Virgil on an investigation of a dubious car "accident" near Vegas, John sees an opportunity to get a promotion , though he's concerned about returning to the gambling game. Before leaving he becomes involved with his eccentric co-worker Jill, a dalliance that has the potential to become a real relationship. Soon John is on the road with Virgil, where they encounter a series of offbeat characters, including a wheelchair-bound stripper, a nude militant, a park Ranger, and a carnival human torch. While Virgil is the supposed leader of the investigation, it's John who begins to finally assert himself, pushing the case closer to a conclusion. Through the journey, John's confidence builds, and he realizes that he can't escape his gambling addiction by running away from it--it will follow him wherever he goes. It's only when he returns to Vegas and his experiences there finally send him on the path to breaking free.
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Romany Malco, Tim Blake Nelson, John Cho, Emmanuelle Chriqui
Directed by: Hue Rhodes
U.S. Rating: R

I personally believe Steve Buscemi is a very talented actor. He'son of those actors that hasn't found the perfect script and role to let him show the world his real talent. I've followed him for a very long time and watched some of the movies he's played in, and I always get really entertained with his roles and performance. In fact, he's having such a great moment with his role in the TV Series from HBO: Boardwalk Empire. I've been waiting for a while for it to come to the UK and enjoy watching it.

Anyway, Saint John of Las Vegas wasn't the script we were waiting for him to show his best. With this  inicial comment I don't want to say that it was a bad script, I'm just saying that it wasn't the best one. I personally enjoyed the movie, no matter how bad the reviews, comments and criticisms were with the film.

Saint John of Las Vegas brings the story of a compulsive gambler who attempts to cure his addiction by moving from Las Vegas to Albuquerque. He tries to get a normal life living in a nice, peaceful neighborhood and working at an auto insurance company. The only problem is that far from being away from his old temptations, this job made it worse. He finds his old temptations cropping up once again when he's sent out to investigate a dubious car accident just outside of Sin City.

John works for Mr. Townsend, who pairs him with the company's top fraud debunker, Virgil, and sends them out on an investigation together. While John is eager to get a promotion, he's reluctant to go anywhere near Las Vegas just to avoid temptation, and before he leaves he strikes up a tenuous romance with his eccentric co-worker, Jill.

On the road, Virgil and John encounter a series of offbeat characters including Ned, a nude militant, Tasty D Lite, a wheelchair-using stripper, and a carnival human torch. But while Virgil is the one with the experience, John gradually begins to assert himself and soon his efforts begin to pay off as the case moves closer to conclusion. As John's confidence grows, he becomes increasingly aware of the fact that running away from his gambling problem is not the solution, and that he'll only be able to move forward by returning to Las Vegas to face his demons head on.

It is definitely the film for some good laughs, even though, it is a forgettable film. Steve Buscemi  and Sarah Silverman make the film worth to watch at home on a lazy weekend afternoon or evening.

I would rate this movie with a high 2/5


Have you watched the film? What did you like or dislike from this movie? What would you rate this movie? Share with us your thoughts!

Enjoy it!... Watch it!

0 comments

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Recent Tweets

Follow 35mmReviews on Twitter