Poker, without a doubt, is an addictive game. It is, despite its non-violent nature, a brutal game – one wherein you can only win money if another player loses his. And it is exactly this element, coupled with the delicate balance of skill and luck required, that makes this game so addictive and so potentially dangerous. It is also what makes poker such a great theme to bring to the big screen. So it’s really no wonder that the movie, Shark Out of Water, an indie film about two men who struggle with their addiction to poker, was such a huge hit, earning four nominations in all at the Leo Aware, particularly the Best Short Drama, Best Direction, Best Performance, and Best Musical Score. It is also an official selection in the Miami Short Film Festival 2009, the Edmonton International Film Festival, the Tacoma Film Festival, the Mississauga Independent Film Festival, and the Nevada City Film Festival. Furthermore, it has just recently been released in DVD.
Lights, Camera, Action
The plot of “Shark out of Water” is one that hits too close to home. Gambling addiction is something that several poker players struggle with. And the essence of this struggle was captured brilliantly by the movie. The theme revolves around the question, “is skill enough when your luck runs dry?”. It explores the uncontrollable aspect of poker, and that is luck. But more importantly, it explores the effect of the game on players in a no holds barred manner, a true tell-all film that most, if not all, poker players can definitely relate to. Directed by Juan Redienger and produced by “Made in the Shade” and “Strangeways”, “Shark out of Water” is an indie film starring Matty Finochio as Bobby, Artine Brown as Abe, and Kristine Cofsky as Lisa.
Bobby is a poker player who, with a toy shark as his companion in the felt, struggles to keep afloat despite the staggering influx of extremely bad luck. He is skilled and talented, but all luck has abandoned him, and this puts him at the precipice of his career. Out of money and pressured to get a “real” job, he borrows some cash from his friend Abe, and from this stems the portrayal of a drama so real and so human that poker players everywhere will no doubt be able to relate.
Cameos from the Real Poker World
An extra treat for poker fans is the cameo appearance of two poker pros, namely Brad Booth and Phil Hellmuth Jr. of Ultimate Bet. Phil Hellmuth plays a poker player who bullies the main character. He acts surprisingly well and the “sinisterly sarcastic” role that the directors and producers gave him fit him like a glove. If you want to see a sample of Phil’s acting, then you can watch the trailer and view a snippet of conversation between him and the main character. As payment for the cameo role, Phil simply had to fight the director in a heads-up battle. It was no sweat at all for Phil, easily beating his opponent within just three hands.
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