'TWO FOR THE MONEY' A LOSING PROPOSITION.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic EVEN Al Pacino can't bellow bellow one of the voices of cattle. Usually refers to the arrogant call of the bull used to announce territorial rights. Abnormalities of the voice include hoarseness as in rabies, or continuous repetition as in nervous acetonemia. See also low, moo. loud enough to drown out Verb 1. drown out - make imperceptible; "The noise from the ice machine drowned out the music" make noise, noise, resound - emit a noise the raging stupidity that courses through ``Two for the Money,'' the latest in a lamentable la·men·ta·ble adj. Inspiring or deserving of lament or regret; deplorable or pitiable. See Synonyms at pathetic. lam  en·ta·bly adv. line of movies in which Screaming Al mentors a protege pro·té·gé n. One whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by an influential person. [French, from past participle of protéger, to protect, from Old French, from Latin with predictable results. Watching Pacino chew scenery is a guilty pleasure, but there's nothing to even nibble Half a byte (four bits). (data) nibble - /nib'l/ (US "nybble", by analogy with "bite" -> "byte") Half a byte. Since a byte is nearly always eight bits, a nibble is nearly always four bits (and can therefore be represented by one hex digit). here, just a wretchedly unbelievable faux father-son story that has the psychological depth of a lite beer commercial. Pacino plays Walter Abrams, a gambling addict with a heart condition who's one ``hoo-ha!'' away from a chance to scream at St. Peter for locking heaven's gates. Walter runs a gambling hotline, trying to coerce suckers into betting that his gurus can predict the winners of college and pro football games. Walter plucks young Brandon Long (Matthew McConaughey) out of Nowheresville Nowheresville is a single from Mark Oliver Everett, a.k.a. E of Eels, released in March, 1992 on CD from Polydor Records. Track listing
``All he does is WORK OUT and PICK WINNERS,'' Walter shouts about his protege, and director D.J. Caruso helpfully provides countless shots of a shirtless McConaughey pumping iron and tightening his abs. What Caruso and writer Gilroy don't give us include any grounding in reality, a cursory explanation of how Walter's business works, why Brandon can pick winners and why Brandon slicks his hair back like Gordon Gekko. The answer to that last one is obvious: The filmmakers are wannabe Oliver Stones. However, they've made an ``Alexander'' instead of a ``Wall Street.'' They attempt to portray Walter as an addict who gets off on the high of risking it all and losing - losing his business and his impossibly supportive wife (Rene Russo). So Walter keeps throwing Brandon's abs in his wife's face, hoping she'll take the bait. It's laughable. But not as funny as the moment when a disgruntled dis·grun·tle tr.v. dis·grun·tled, dis·grun·tling, dis·grun·tles To make discontented. [dis- + gruntle, to grumble (from Middle English gruntelen; see bettor urinates on Brandon in Central Park. (Undoubtedly a Raiders fan.) He tells Brandon he'll be back, but we never see him again, one of any number of plot points that go nowhere. Caruso and Gilroy were probably too busy making sure they'd make their ``over'' bet on the number of times Pacino bellows the F-word. In case you're interested, the opening line had it at 58. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com TWO FOR THE MONEY - One star (R: pervasive language, sex scene, urination urination Process of excreting urine from the bladder (see urinary system). Nerve centres in the spinal cord, brain stem, and cerebral cortex control it through involuntary and voluntary muscles. The need to void is felt when the bladder holds 3. scene) Starring: Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Rene Russo. Director: D.J. Caruso. Running time: 2 hr. 4 min. Playing: In wide release. In a nutshell: Al Pacino bellows his way through a horribly bad mentor- protege movie that has the psychological depth of a lite beer commercial. |
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