Runner Runner

Ein normaler Thriller, der aber viele Bonuspunkte hat, wodurch er sich auf eine andere Ebene hebt. Es ist vor allem die untypisch negative Rolle von Ben Affleck, die dieser wunderbar spielt. Ich meine nämlich zu Affleck im Unterschied zu vielen anderen, dass er nicht nur ein hervorragender Regisseur, sondern auch ein guter Schauspieler ist. Weitere Pluspunkte sind für mich der Spruch über Napoleon und Elba, die schwungvollen neunzig Minuten, in denen sich der Zuschauer nicht langweilt, und Gemma in der Rolle der verräterischen "Femme fatale“. (27.09.2013)

Fade. Es gibt Unmengen an ähnlichen Genre-Filmen, die aber spannender und origineller sind. Meistens bekommen sie von mir 3 Sterne, weil sie ohne Ehrgeiz wenigstens für die zwei Stunden unterhaltsam sind. Runner Runner hat mir nicht Spaß gemacht. Ein schwaches Drehbuch und eine fade Chemie zwischen den Schauspieler*innen, die auch nicht gut besetzt sind. (04.10.2013)

A film without higher ambitions. Visually, it is traditionally clean, in an interesting and luxurious setting, with attractive people (Gemma Arterton). One cannot fail to notice the recurring spontaneity of Justin Timberlake – that man has acting talent – and Ben Affleck, who is becoming better the older he gets. It is a run-of-the-mill genre film, but at least it wasn't too long, and occasionally entertaining. (29.12.2013)

You expect a boring mess with two action figures in the lead and suddenly you get a surprisingly mature thriller without exploding cars and the other instant thriller attractions. With two action figures in the lead. Admittedly, it doesn't quite know if it wants to be a poker movie (up to the first 20 minutes or so), a mafia movie (everything with Affleck), or a corruption crime drama against exotic backdrops, but on the other hand the timing of the dialogue, the pace of the individual scenes, the subtle camera magic, and the directorial confidence is something that isn't a complete given these days. The problem with the film is precisely its ceaselessness, where none of the things one would expect from a crime, thriller, or poker movie are actually present, and it's barely saved by the hideous redneck lumber of Arterton, a farmer’s daughter who finally makes me understand why the whole of Quantum of Solace cost about as much as a minor colony on Pluto – you could even touch her there. And tenderly. (05.01.2014)

I’m no expert on online internet games, I don’t even know how to play that dumb, online poker, so I didn’t get any of the references (but I know they were there), the action at places didn’t make sense, and mainly it’s too slow. I didn’t enjoy it and the fact that Ben enjoyed playing this motherfucker simply doesn’t make it for me. (18.01.2014)