A trio of grifters, Tiffany, Charlie and Larry, teams up with Vernon, a card mechanic, to take down an illegal poker game in Los Angeles. The job grows dangerous when the game turns out to be a trap, drawing in mobsters and corrupt cops. Amid gunfire and mounting pressure, the crew finds itself facing a legendary card shark known as the Dean.

How it was made

Damian Nieman wrote and directed the film, with Ted Hartley producing under DEJ Productions. Anthony B. Richmond shot it and Christopher Young composed the score, though the soundtrack also includes original pieces by jazz composer Dmitri Matheny and by The Golden Ratio with Ken Rangkuty. The cast includes Sylvester Stallone, Gabriel Byrne, Thandiwe Newton, Jamie Foxx and Melanie Griffith.

Reception and legacy

The film had a very limited release, playing five weeks in six American theaters and grossing about $458,000 worldwide. Critics were divided, with a 67% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 40 out of 100. It is usually placed within the heist and neo-noir genres, with modest commercial impact.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

Mixed soundtrack

Besides Christopher Young, several artists contributed original music. Dmitri Matheny composed three pieces, including Penumbra.

CineVegas premiere

The film was shown at the CineVegas International Film Festival before its limited commercial release.

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.