Today’s quick review: Reindeer Games. Rudy Duncan (Ben Affleck) lands himself in trouble when he decides to pose as his dead cellmate, Nick Cassidy (James Frain), when he’s released from prison. Rudy picks up where Nick left off with Ashley Mercer (Charlize Theron), a woman who wrote to Nick in prison. But their relationship takes a dire turn when Ashley’s brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) forces Rudy to rob the casino where Nick used to work.
Reindeer Games is a crime drmaa about an ex-convict caught in a dangerous situation due to a case of mistaken identity. Rudy must continue to pose as Nuck long enough to escape from Gabriel, all while planning to rob a casino he doesn’t know the first thing about. Reindeer Games gets quite a bit of mileage from its premise. Rudy’s quick thinking in a tricky and constantly evolving situation is enough to make the movie an interesting watch.
Still, Reindeer Games has to bend over backwards to make its premise work. The number of coincidences and bad decisions needed to force Rudy into the robbery strains credulity. The movie constantly has to walk a tightrope between giving Rudy the room he needs to maneuver and keeping him on the short leash the plot requires. To its credit, Reindeer Games tries to tie everything together in a cohesive package, but it goes for one plot twist too many.
The result is a fairly enjoyable crime drama that doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny. Reindeer Games is a decent pick for those looking for a plot-driven crime movie with snatches of black comedy. But in spite of a promising start, its plot doesn’t hang together well enough to make good on its premise, and neither its dialogue nor its characters are strong enough to pick up the slack. Critical viewers will want to steer clear.
For a more elaborate crime drama about a case of mistaken identity, try Lucky Number Slevin. For a crime comedy with some of the same elements, try Trapped in Paradise. For one with a somewhat similar setup and a greater focus on romance, try Out of Sight.
5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for the makings of a good plot, but with a shaky follow-through.