Deal 2008

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: A product of the recent poker craze, this can't compare with the movie that helped launch it, John Dahl's tense Rounders. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Deal could use a touch of the slickness that's making the blackjack drama 21 such a greasy hit. Read more

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: Reynolds doesn't convey any of the lightning bolt insouciance that made him arguably the greatest movie star of the '70s and '80s (really) but rather just stands there. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Moving slowly these days, Burt Reynolds does less than no acting in this role, and he's still the best thing in Deal. Read more

Tim Grierson, L.A. Weekly: Deal is fatally earnest: It honestly believes it's the first poker film to have a mentor character tell his young protege that success in cards is similar to success in life. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The film has more of a checklist of cliches than an actual script and, when it comes to the cast, director Gil Cates Jr. is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, Time Out: Read more

John Anderson, Variety: Deal is perhaps too briskly paced: The narrative moves along a bit too fleetingly for any genuine character development. Read more