Released: June 20th, 2008
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Selma Blair, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bokeem Woodbine, Sophia Bairley, David Alan Grier
Writer/Director: Lori Petty
Description: A dramatization of Lori Petty's teenage years spent in small town Iowa.
[Review may contain spoilers. Please watch movie before reading, unless you don't care. Most of these films have already been released for a while, so they should be readily available.]
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Before going into the review, let's talk about the idea of a writer/director creating a movie based on their life. Most people would see that as the best way to make it realistic, but in most cases, it becomes an over-dramatization of the situation. The most realistic biopics are when the subject helps out, but is not directly involved in the production. This allows the movie to avoid a woe is me, emotional beatdown that can occur within a true story told by the person the film depicts.
"The Poker House" is a day in the life of Agnes (Lawrence) in 1970s Iowa. Agnes is the on-screen doppelganger of writer/director Lori Petty -- you know, Kit from "League of Their Own." Agnes is the eldest of three children, who all live in a whore house with their drug addict, prostitute mother played wonderfully by Selma Blair. Agnes is the most mature of the clan, and is completely independent from the craziness going on at the Poker House. She is a star basketball player and a budding poet, and appears to be well-like by everyone she knows.
But she falls into the same trap her mother does, and falls for the local pimp, Duval (Woodbine). Agnes truly believes that Duval is in love with her, but her fantasy comes crashing down when he rapes her on the living room floor. Her mother has no sympathy for her and chooses Duval over her daughter when Agnes threatens his life. The strong willed girl puts all of this drama behind her, goes to her basketball game and somehow single-handedly wins the game after arriving in the fourth quarter.
The performances in this movie are so much better than any other part of the production that I felt sorry for the actors. Lawrence, once again, is spectacular. She is a chameleon when the camera is on, and she always finds a way to take the character right to the height of emotion without over-acting the dialogue. All of the great things she does in "Winter's Bone" she does here, but the writing and direction are so subpar that I doubt many people even know about this movie.
Going in I already knew that Lawrence was the lead, and was expecting her typical A+ performance, but I was surprised by the supporting role of Chloe Moretz -- best known as Hit Girl from "Kick Ass". She has maybe five or six scenes in the movie, but she steals them all. The most entertaining scenes in the film involve her and David Alan Grier talking in a bar. Grier plays a local drunk who's tweaking during his day drinking, and Moretz is the youngest sister, who has stayed at the bar because she doesn't want to go home. There is one particular monologue by Moretz about Goldfish crackers that highlights the talent of this future star. She made up for the pitiful acting by Sophia Bairley, who played the middle sister.
If Lori Petty was going for an emotionally draining experience instead of a well-crafted movie then she succeed, but if she was trying to make a good film, she failed miserably. The movie is very choppy in its editing, confusing in its timeline, and anti-climatic in its ending. The drama of the basketball game was so weak that it elicited a yawn from me.
It felt like a collection of scenes rather than a well-threaded plot. Not much happened until the rape scene. I'm all for character building, but it needs to be done well to overshadow a weak conflict. The under the surface conflict of Agnes' relationship with her mother was told mostly through voice overs than actual dialogue between the characters. The lack of build-up makes the confrontation after the rape seem forced.
"The Poker House" has a really good movie somewhere inside of it, but the failure of its writer/director/subject makes the movie a giant mess that is hard to stay interested in. If it wasn't for Lawrence, Moretz and Grier, there wouldn't be anything redeeming about the film. It's the perfect example of the person behind the story getting too involved in the production, and making it all about her rather than what the real story should be. The lack of development of the supporting character is what makes this movie forgettable, and the polar opposite of a movie like, "Winter's Bone".
Rating: 4/10 -- The performances in this movie are the only thing that make it watchable. It is always intriguing to see breakout stars in the films they made before the notoriety. Lawrence and Moretz are always worth the time spent watching them perform.
"The Poker House" is a day in the life of Agnes (Lawrence) in 1970s Iowa. Agnes is the on-screen doppelganger of writer/director Lori Petty -- you know, Kit from "League of Their Own." Agnes is the eldest of three children, who all live in a whore house with their drug addict, prostitute mother played wonderfully by Selma Blair. Agnes is the most mature of the clan, and is completely independent from the craziness going on at the Poker House. She is a star basketball player and a budding poet, and appears to be well-like by everyone she knows.
But she falls into the same trap her mother does, and falls for the local pimp, Duval (Woodbine). Agnes truly believes that Duval is in love with her, but her fantasy comes crashing down when he rapes her on the living room floor. Her mother has no sympathy for her and chooses Duval over her daughter when Agnes threatens his life. The strong willed girl puts all of this drama behind her, goes to her basketball game and somehow single-handedly wins the game after arriving in the fourth quarter.
The performances in this movie are so much better than any other part of the production that I felt sorry for the actors. Lawrence, once again, is spectacular. She is a chameleon when the camera is on, and she always finds a way to take the character right to the height of emotion without over-acting the dialogue. All of the great things she does in "Winter's Bone" she does here, but the writing and direction are so subpar that I doubt many people even know about this movie.
Going in I already knew that Lawrence was the lead, and was expecting her typical A+ performance, but I was surprised by the supporting role of Chloe Moretz -- best known as Hit Girl from "Kick Ass". She has maybe five or six scenes in the movie, but she steals them all. The most entertaining scenes in the film involve her and David Alan Grier talking in a bar. Grier plays a local drunk who's tweaking during his day drinking, and Moretz is the youngest sister, who has stayed at the bar because she doesn't want to go home. There is one particular monologue by Moretz about Goldfish crackers that highlights the talent of this future star. She made up for the pitiful acting by Sophia Bairley, who played the middle sister.
If Lori Petty was going for an emotionally draining experience instead of a well-crafted movie then she succeed, but if she was trying to make a good film, she failed miserably. The movie is very choppy in its editing, confusing in its timeline, and anti-climatic in its ending. The drama of the basketball game was so weak that it elicited a yawn from me.
It felt like a collection of scenes rather than a well-threaded plot. Not much happened until the rape scene. I'm all for character building, but it needs to be done well to overshadow a weak conflict. The under the surface conflict of Agnes' relationship with her mother was told mostly through voice overs than actual dialogue between the characters. The lack of build-up makes the confrontation after the rape seem forced.
"The Poker House" has a really good movie somewhere inside of it, but the failure of its writer/director/subject makes the movie a giant mess that is hard to stay interested in. If it wasn't for Lawrence, Moretz and Grier, there wouldn't be anything redeeming about the film. It's the perfect example of the person behind the story getting too involved in the production, and making it all about her rather than what the real story should be. The lack of development of the supporting character is what makes this movie forgettable, and the polar opposite of a movie like, "Winter's Bone".
Rating: 4/10 -- The performances in this movie are the only thing that make it watchable. It is always intriguing to see breakout stars in the films they made before the notoriety. Lawrence and Moretz are always worth the time spent watching them perform.
