The effect of gambling of all sorts and how it affects a variety of characters is the theme of this criss-crossing tale in the Crash and Babel mold. A strong cast keeps things fairly gripping throughout. Kim Basinger is a blocked novelist spending her and hubby Ray Liotta’s money on slot machines; Forest Whitaker plays a janitor who tries to persuade college hoops star brother Nick Cannon to throw a game so he can pay off bookies Jay Mohr and Grant Sullivan; Danny DeVito is a magician who befriends Basinger; Carla Gugino is the lovelorn woman attracted to Sullivan; and Kelsey Grammer is a detective investigating a murder. Shot moodily like a film noir by veteran director Mark Rydell (The Rose), Even Money sneaks up on audiences thanks to its interesting characters and their reactions to pressing situations.

Shelf Talk: Despite the top-notch cast, the film received only a token release in limited theaters. Special care and handling on DVD can certainly help Money garner the audience it deserves. The cast alone certainly warrants audiences to bet on it.