Kevin Spacey Is Casino Jack (2010), Now on DVD
According to Casino Jack, Jack Abramoff (yes, that Jack Abramoff—lobbyist from hell) was a devoted husband, father, and observant Jew; he was also a conscienceless liar whose disregard for ethics bordered on the psychopathic. Casino Jack attempts to reconcile these two sides of the same coin in a comedy that traces the downfall of Abramoff’s “empire.”
Even one with a finely tuned sense of humor will find it difficult to laugh at many of Abramoff’s exploits, and the viewer instead laughs at him—his vanity, narcissism, ego, sense of invincibility, and relentless greed. Not Kevin Spacey’s finest role, the actor manages to portray Abramoff in an almost sympathetic light, as if this swindler was really—at heart—just an average Joe (with expensive tastes, seven kids, a trophy wife, and an insatiable craving for more, more, more).
Abramoff’s partner Michael Scanlon, as played by Barry Pepper, is equally greedy, but it’s his stupidity that seals the fates of these two crooks. The real laughs come from Jon Lovitz’s portrayal of Adam Kidan, a man who doesn’t seem to know there’s a difference between “life” and “party,” who has never met an ethical principal he either liked or obeyed.
Abramoff and Scanlon are depicted as movie lovers who spout dialogue from their favorites at times when something more sincere would be appropriate, and references to popular films are littered throughout the script. The cast of characters seems to be broken down into two categories: the scoundrels who are unlikable, and their victims who are slightly less unlikable. Falling into the victim category are Abramoff’s wife Pam (Kelly Preston) and Scanlon’s girlfriend, Emily Miller (Rachelle Lefevre) who pulls the plug on the whole operation when she discovers Scanlon’s infidelity. Other victims include nearly everyone that comes into contact with Scanlon and Abramoff.
Greed is not limited to Scanlon and Abramoff, and Casino Jack highlights a few of our less-than-honest lawmakers, particularly Tom DeLay (Spencer Garrett). The film wraps up with a run-down of the fates of Abramoff and his associates, none of whom garner our sympathies. (Release date: April 5, 2011)
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