'Casino Jack'

'Casino Jack' (R) (3 stars)

Writer: Norman Snider
Director: George Hickenlooper
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Jon Lovitz, Graham Greene,
Eric Schweig, Rachelle Lefevre, Maury Chaykin

I used to find politics boring but lately I have realized that politics is like a great, dramatic movie full of back stabbing and melodrama. Television shows like "Bill Maher" and movies like "All the President's Men" make me appreciate the inherent evil that is behind most political maneuvers and politicians. I didn't realize until I heard about Jack Abramoff and saw the movie "Casino Jack" how slimy lobbyists could be. Kevin Spacey is the perfect choice to play Abramoff and I can't see anyone else in the role. Spacey is the best at playing smarmy, wise cracking men full of anger. Jack Abramoff was a D.C. lobbyist who bilked a lot of money from Native Americans and other interest groups. Jack and his partner Michael Scanlon exploited Native Americans and skimmed money off the top of deals he made with them. This is the classic tale of the crooked politician getting away with corruption and then crashing hard when he is caught. I have seen this before but it is told so well by writer Norman Snider and director George Hickenlooper that I admired it and found it interesting.

The movie also is a success mostly because of the acting by Kevin Spacey. I love watching Spacey act and he holds your attention always with ease. His scenes were he is charming, then a dick and also when he has his outbursts of anger are all handled so well in equal measure. There is also a very funny performance by Jon Lovitz as a crooked businessman Abramoff gets involved with. I love the scenes between him and Spacey, they are very funny and entertaining. Also very good is Barry Pepper as Scanlon and with this and "True Grit" he shows how versatile and compelling he is as an actor. I was not that interested in the Mob dealings Abramoff handles because the political back stabbing is more evil and more delicious. It is true that without Spacey I might have been bored but the material is too juicy not to get involved with. I like what the movie was telling, at least for me, that Abramoff hadn't done anything more evil than that of what most politicians do every day. I think Abramoff just surrounded himself with some dumb losers that helped bring him down.