Tom DeLay

Film Review: Kevin Spacey Comes Up Aces in ‘Casino Jack’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:17:59 -0500

CHICAGO – The halls of the Capitol Building are paved with money. It takes a long time beyond civics class and history to realize that. Kevin Spacey illustrates that concept precisely playing “super lobbyist” and convicted larcenist Jack Abramoff in “Casino Jack”.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Jack Abramoff’s story is a typical eye glazer for the average news consumer, but his actions effect everyone all the time.It is his story as an arch conservative con man, spewing religion while at the same time robbing people blind. And it’s all legal because the guys he has in his pockets make the law.

Basically the story revolves around Abramoff and his partner Michael Scanlon (Barry Pepper), as they set up specific lobbying efforts on behalf of Native American casinos. They use these “retainers” from their clients to peddle influence with key people in Washington, including the new Speaker of the House, Tom Delay (Spencer Garrett). At the same time, they are looking to score in gaming themselves, as an off-shore casino out of Florida can easily sail beyond all laws and regulations.

Abramoff and Scanlon enlist the aid of a petty businessman, Adam Kidan (Jon Lovitz) to be their front man for the purchase of the off-shore gaming scheme. Kidan is a bit of a loose cannon, and butts heads with the criminal elements that control the gambling in the area. Now real organized crime is involved with the type of organized crime that Casino Jack practices.

When the inevitable downfall occurs (touched off, naturally, by Scanlon’s spurned wife), the house of cards that falls leads all the way up to George W. Bush (naturally, again). Abramoff is a good Republican, until of course he is caught.

“Casino Jack” continues its limited release in Chicago on December 31st. See local listings for theaters and showtimes. Featuring Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Graham Greene, Jon Lovitz and Kelly Preston. Screenplay by Norman Snider, directed by George Hickenlooper. Rated “R”.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Casino Jack”

Schemers: Barry Peppers as Michael Scalon and Kevin Spacey as Jack Abramoff in ‘Casino Jack’
Photo Credit: © ATO Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Casino Jack”

‘Casino Jack and the United States of Money’ Infuriates While it Entertains

BrianTT — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:10:57 -0400

Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – There’s a memorable moment in “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,” in which one of director Alex Gibney’s interview subjects compares an Enron press conference to the musical sequence in “Chicago,” where a slickly manipulative lawyer has all of the city’s reporters on marionette strings.

I couldn’t help being reminded of another catchy “Chicago” show tune while watching Gibney’s latest so-infuriating-it’s-entertaining documentary, “Casino Jack and the United States of Money.” It’s the song belted out by Matron Mama Morton, who boasts, “Ask any of the chickies in my pen/They’ll tell you I’m the biggest mother hen/I love ‘em all and all of them love me/Because the system works, the system called/RE-CI-PRO-CI-TY.” I suggest that Gibney find a place for this number on his director’s cut. These lyrics succinctly describe the mentality of former megalobbyist Jack Abramoff, who embodies everything that is wrong with American politics today.

Read Matt Fagerholm’s full review of “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” in our reviews section.

Abramoff’s descent into jaw-dropping corruption is truly a story for the ages, and Gibney milks it for all it’s worth. We see Abramoff’s early years as a young boy so dazzled by the cinema that he converted to Conservative Judaism after seeing “Fiddler on the Roof.” He memorized the opening monologue from “Patton” with fellow College Republicans Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist, who substituted the word “Nazi” with “Democrat.” Abramoff would later try his hand at filmmaking by producing 1989’s anti-Communist action film, “Red Scorpion,” with Scandinavian star Dolph Lundgren doing a laughably awful Schwarzenegger impression.

Not only does Gibney supply some priceless clips of “Scorpion,” but he also captures the theatrical spirit of a man who largely seemed to have his head in the clouds. With a self-righteousness to match his towering ego, Abramoff convinced himself that he could get away with anything simply because he’s one of the “good guys.” When he wore a villainous fedora and trench coat to the court hearing that would land him in prison, it was Abramoff’s way of saying that Congress had cast him as the “bad guy,” while neglecting to share responsibility in the government’s sprawling, inherent corruption.

Continue reading for Matt Fagerholm’s full “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” review.

‘Casino Jack and the United States of Money’ features Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, Adam Kidan, Ralph Reed, Michael Scanlon, Neil Volz, Susan Schmidt, Dave Grosh and Grover Norquist. It was written and directed by Alex Gibney. It opened on May 14th at local theaters. It is rated R.

Casino Jack and the United States of Money
Photo credit: Magnolia

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Chicago Passes to ‘Casino Jack and the United States of Money’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:09:02 -0400

CHICAGO – In our latest documentary edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” from Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney!

The film features Stanley Tucci, Paul Rudd, Jack Abramoff, William Branner, Tom DeLay, Donn Dunlop, Kevin Henderson, Hal Kreitman, Kelly Brian Kuhn, Paolo Mugnaini, Bob Ney, Ralph Reed, Michael Scanlon and Neil Volz. “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” opens in Chicago on May 14, 2010.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” from filmmaker Alex Gibney.
Image credit: Magnolia Pictures

Here is the plot description for “Casino Jack and the United States of Money”:

This portrait of Washington super lobbyist Jack Abramoff – from his early years as a gung-ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah – confirms the adage that “truth is indeed stranger than fiction”.

A tale of international intrigue with Indian casinos, Russian spies, Chinese sweatshops and a mob-style killing in Miami, this is the story of the way money corrupts our political process. Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney once again wields the tools of his trade with the skill of a master.

Following the ongoing indictments of federal officials and exposing favor trading in our nation’s capital, Gibney illuminates the way our politicians’ desperate need to get elected – and the millions of dollars it costs – may be undermining the basic principles of American democracy. Infuriating yet undeniably fun to watch, “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” is a saga of greed and corruption with a cynical villain audiences will love to hate.

The trailer for “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” can be watched now below.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this question:

What’s one thing the U.S. could do to cut down on political corruption?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: Just submit your comment below and we will award 50 people randomly via e-mail for our “Casino Jack and the United States of Money” Hookup. Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Good luck!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com