As of this review, the full movie is available on youtube and while that's usually a bit of a red flag, I found it actually a refreshing change of pace. Unusually for films of this budget range, I really grew to like the characters and care about whether or not the central heist scheme comes to fruition. There's a palatable sense of tension and immediacy throughout coupled with the knowledge that someone is going to screw someone over at some point and that it's just a matter of time.
Michael Nose puts in a nicely subtle performance as a pseudo-villain who succeeds in letting the audience's and protagonist's guard down with his honest charm. Crowe as the vulnerable, somewhat-bumbling lead lead works well too, though the main gangster boss villain comes off a little over-the-top. My main criticism for this is in the narrative in that it feels rushed at times like some critical info was left on the cutting room floor. There's a bit of an abrupt transition later in the film where one character goes from running through the desert to freezing to death in an alley which could have used an extra scene in there to show why he doesn't break into a nearby house or car out of desperation. Considering the deliberate pace of the rest of the film, I don't think it would have hurt. Also, the hero makes a particularly confusing choice near the end of the film which made me dislike him a lot on first viewing but makes a lot more sense when one considers he's become hooked on risk.
That brings me to the central point of what makes this film strong. It carries a strong message about the dangers of progressive gambling addiction at its core and keeps things very grounded and realistic, especially considering its oft-hyperbolic genre and budget constraints. I'm glad I took the time to give it a watch, as even though I had a vague idea of where it was headed, I found it wonderfully full of surprises and the odd nice bit of cinematography here and there.
