Yonkers Joe

Great Gambling Movie

     

This is a terrific film. The inside, tricks of the trade of the gambler are depicted with such realism that I forgot I was watching a movie. Yonkers Joe, played to perfection by Chazz Palminteri can minipulate cards and dice in order to make himself win -- I would defy anyone to try and catch him. What's different about this story is Joe doesn't make a ton of money, he uses his skills to get by until something happens that drives his ambition. I wondered after seeing this movie, if I had ever been conned in this fashion, because I didn't think these types of skilled gamblers would waste their time on small money, back room VFW type poker games. But why not? These people don't care about showing off they just want your money. These are crooked characters who operate outside the law, but when performed and photographed with such honesty and meaning, I understood their motives and was drawn in by them. The story between Chazz and his son is truely moving. If the actor playing Chazz's son isn't really mentally challenged, he's surely the greatest actor on the planet and deserves an Oscar! This is the best movie I've seen all year. In you've ever played poker or shot craps, you have to see this movie.