The Music of Chance (1993)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Philip Haas

Writers:

Paul Auster (novel)
Belinda Haas (writer)

Release Date:

4 June 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Jack Pozzi is about to take the biggest gamble of his life...

Plot:

Two men face the consequences of gambling after playing with men beyond their league.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel | Independent Film

Cast

James Spader	...	Jack Pozzi
Mandy Patinkin	...	Jim Nashe
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Calvin Murks
Charles Durning	...	Bill Flower
Joel Grey	...	Willy Stone
Samantha Mathis	...	Tiffany
Chris Penn	...	Floyd
Pearl Jones	...	Louise
Jordan Spainhour	...	Floyd Jr.
Paul Auster	...	Driver

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company:

IRS Media

Trivia:

In the scene where Jim Nashe is in bed after the party, he reads a book. You can see that the cover indicates the book is one by Paul Auster, who wrote the novel upon which the movie is based.

Quotes:

Calvin Murks: Mornin' boys.

Movie Connections:

References White Heat (1949)

Soundtrack:

Jerusalem

This film took me completely by surprise

I rented this movie about five years ago not knowing what to expect. I saw a few raves on the back of the box, and even though the cast looked a bit uneven, I took a chance. I was totally mesmerized. I enjoyed it so much I watched the whole thing all over again the next evening. It's a totally captivating story with wonderful cinematography, a beautiful soundtrack, and it's all held together by the fact that you have no idea what is going to happen next.

The story -- based on the novel by Paul Auster -- is certainly an original one. Mandy Patinkin plays a fireman named Nash who is taking an extended roadtrip/vacation and picks up the James Spader character (Pozzi) on the side of the road, bruised and bloody. Apparently Pozzi, who is normally a card player with a golden touch, lost his shirt to a pair of eccentric millionaires. Nash agrees to front Pozzi the money to get back in a game with the old guys in an attempt to win back his money. Well, one thing leads to another and Nash and Pozzi lose their shirts in the rematch. The payoff scheme conceived by the millionaires eventually drives Nash and Pozzi to the brink of insanity. Without giving away too much more of the plot, let's just say it involves the building of a wall and we'll leave it at that.

All the performances are memorable. It's a small cast, but each actor (Patinkin, Spader, Charles Durning, Joel Grey, M. Emmet Walsh, Christopher Penn and Samantha Mathis) does wonderfully. Patinkin is marvelous as a quiet, sensible man who slowly goes mad. Spader is totally over the top and manages to deliver what's probably his finest performance to date. Durning is terrific, as is the always-dependable character actor Walsh.

A few months after seeing the movie for the first time, I read the book and was pleasantly surprised at how faithful the book was in recreating the story. If you are a fan of this book or any other of Auster's works, this is definitely worth checking out.