The Last Casino (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Pierre Gill

Writer:

Steven Westren (written by)

Release Date:

26 June 2004 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

How much money can 3 students get counting cards?

Plot:

A university teacher recruits 3 bright students to learn the art of card counting and makes them play, and win, for him.

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Card Counting | Blackjack | Canada | Gambling

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Charles Martin Smith	...	Barnes
Katharine Isabelle	...	Elyse
Kris Lemche	...	Scott
Julian Richings	...	Orr
Albert Chung	...	George
Normand D'Amour	...	Wilson
Jacques Godin	...	Saunders
Roy Lund	...	Casino #1 BJ Dealer #1
K.C. Coombs	...	Saleswoman (sexshop)
Una Kay	...	Recruiter
Carl Alacchi	...	Casino #1 Floor Manager #1
Sean Lu	...	Asian Player
Tim Post	...	Hotel Game Boss
Livia Duguay	...	Hotel Game Dealer
Nancy Tang	...	Mrs. Chen

Runtime:

Canada:82 min | Canada:92 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Surround)

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Canada:AA | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Astral Films

Trivia:

Though the name of the character "Wilson" (who busts Prof. Barnes) is listed in the end credits, nobody ever calls him by his name.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene in the high-stakes private club when the dealer is caught skimming cards from the deck, the Chinese man speaks to George first in Mandarin. In the elevator the Chinese man reveals he can speak English and that George had told him to "speak nonsense with conviction." George did not address the tuna salesman first.

Movie Connections:

Version of 21 (2008)

The Last Casino - review

Before "21" came along, there was Pierre Gill's "The Last Casino," which is about Professor Barnes (played very well by Charles Martin Smith) creating his own card counting team to win a huge fortune in Canada's major casinos -- and, oh yes, Barnes also needs the money to pay off his booky Mr. Orr who has his own peculiar way of ensuring the prompt repayment of outstanding debts. "The Last Casino" has half the glitz and thrills of "21"; it even had to do without Kevin Spacey, Lawrence Fishburne and Rihanna's single "Shut up and drive." Yet, it was so much better and far more original than "21" ever was. Many factors contribute to making this under-appreciated film a jewel. To begin with, you can tell the writer Steven Westren put a lot of thought into his screenplay. He created original characters, including the ones that only had small parts. He put the protagonists -- essentially the team of card counters, Elyse (Katherine Isabelle), Scott (Kris Lemche) and George (Albert Chung) -- in the kinds of situations you (or I) would never expect in a film like this. Then he ended the film with a surprise.

The other factor that makes this film great are the performances. Charles Martin Smith does a great job as the professor whose deep in debt, because his gambling via card counting finally got the best of him. Katherine Isabelle puts in a good performance as Elyse, as does Kris Lemche and Albert Chung as her companions so that, by the end, we (as an audience) are able to sympathize with all of them. But the one person who almost steals the show in this movie is Julian Richings whose performance as Mr. Orr must go down in the history books as one of the best (if not the best) villain roles in recent times.