The initial premise of Runner Runner, that young Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) has been paying for his Princeton education via online gambling, is honestly sort of interesting. Unfortunately, that’s not the story the film follows. Richie ends up losing all of his earnings to an online poker game that he discovers is rigged. He does what any rational person would do and flies out of the country to find the guy behind the game, Ivan Block (Ben Affleck).
This is where Runner Runner becomes as cookie cutter and cliched as it gets. Richie is the fish out of water who gets lured in by the rich and powerful Ivan without realizing just how bad of a guy he is. He gets involved with Ivan’s lady (Gemma Arterton), gets mixed up with the Feds and takes a beating from some of Block’s cohorts that are fed up with the way things are being run. The plot even figures out a way to work an absent father with money trouble into the mix as a sort of bargaining chip for Richie to play ball. In other words, you’ve seen this movie before and frankly, you’ve seen it done far better.
Timberlake at least brings some enthusiasm to the role. He’s a likable guy and given better material he could do some good work. Affleck seems like he couldn’t care less about the film and it really comes through. It’s not like Affleck is an incredible actor, but he definitely has his moments where he transcends merely being himself (looking at you, Hollywoodland). In Runner Runner he’s barely even going through the motions. Arterton and Anthony Mackie provide some bright spots but are far underutilized and ultimately don’t add much to the proceedings.
I will give Runner Runner some praise in its pacing and style. Coupled with a run time coming in right at 90 minutes and the credits roll relatively quickly. In a day in age when films often feel bloated in their plot twists and increasing running times, director Fuller and crew show some genuine restraint and stick to a fairly simple narrative. There’s also some nice shots here and there, aside from some incessant shaky cam.
Somewhere hidden within the finished product of Runner Runner is at least a decent movie. The interesting aspects and good performances are just few and far between. As soon as the film begins, you’ll feel like you’ve seen it already and be less and less surprised as it continues going through the motions. It’s not so much bad as it is bland, which is almost worst.
Online Stream Runner Runner on Digital HD via renting or buying at Amazon.com.
