Shade

Veteran Card Shark and Con-Man Charlie (Gabriel Byrne) and his partner Tiffany (Thandie Newton) with their Poker Mechanic Vernon (Stuart Townsend) hustle newbie, Larry Jennings (Jamie Foxx) in order to bankroll a big game against an old-school poker king called The Dean (Sylvester Stallone) who's in town to play one last game before retiring and settling down with his girl, Eve (Melanie Griffiths.)

Like any good heist movie, a good con film has layers. This one has a layer and an angle for each character. Charlie's in it to make money, Tiffany likes power, Vernon's motive is unclear and unsure, and The Dean just wants to get out. In a good con film, the angles are the juice and the glue that drives the story and triggers the tension creating drama. And we, the viewer are left to see how the angles play out. And this one stresses us beautifully, drawing out the story line and playing with us with beautiful timing, throwing down the twist with perfection.

The mechanics of the film (photography, editing, music, cadence and performance) were efficient, well-plotted and executed flawlessly even if the story itself was cliched. The players helped add some class to a tired plot. Even generally typecast Stallone reflects an air of class with his presence as The Dean. I thoroughly enjoyed his presence in this film, especially his scenes with Griffiths' Eve. Their chemistry reflects a timeless love and attraction, and the tenor of their performance makes the romance real and pays off with class. The tenor of the film, regardless of cliches, reflects credibility in storytelling. The photography is consistent, the color rich and bold and the editing brilliant in cadence. The dance is really lovely.

Shade is a brilliantly woven picture: classy, rich and bold and smooth. The tension perfectly hooks the audience allowing the atmosphere to bewitch and beguile.

***

In: Stuart Townsend

Out: Gabriel Byrne

Coming Soon: The Usual Suspects