Runner Runner Movie Review β Story & Cast
For all the movie fans today, we present our Runner Runner movie review where we will tell you more about the cast, the scenario, the storyline and other exciting details that you might like to hear. As for now, we can just start with the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the co-producers of the movie, in combination with Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake in the leading roles, this makes it valuable production.
Runner Runner – True Story or Not, Cast & Background
| Released | 18.09.2013 |
| Director | Brad Furman |
| IMDB | 5.6/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 8% |
| Starring | Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton |
| Budget | 30 Million USD |
| Box Office | 62 Million USD |
| Based on Real Story | Yes |
Before we step into the main characters and the Runner Runner movie review that we have prepared for you, we need to tell you that the movie is not a fiction. Runner Runner is based on a true event. The story of Princeton University student who gambled his tuition money and travelled to an island to seek the online casino boss. The Runner Runner movie presents very real schemes and examples of digital crimes that you can encounter in the digital world and the online casino platforms with a shady origin. You should always watch out if you intend to gamble online. Which scheme is used in the movie you will find out later on, but now let’s place the focus on the main part of the Runner Runner cast.
The movie is about the young student or Justin Timberlake in the role of Richie Furst who cracks the code and finds a loophole in the first online casino in the world or a way to manipulate the casino. The owner of the casino is called Ivan Block, and Ben Affleck plays the role. Ivan’s business partner and ex-lover Rebecca Shafran or Gemma Arterton plays a significant role in the downfall of the massive criminal empire of Mr Block. As part of the movie, you will see Anthony Mackie, Oliver Cooper, Michael Esper and others.
Now a bit more about the production and its background, who made the movie? How much it cost? What were the reviews? Well, let’s take it one by one. Π’he overall budget invested for the film comes to over 30 million USD which is an average sum for a good movie like Runner Runner. The producer’s crew consists of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Michael Shamberg, Amon Milchan and others. The scenario itself is a creation of David Levien and Brian Koppelman.
Now a bit more about the reviews and the public response towards the movie. Well, it was released in 2013 when the first projection was on the 18th of September in Las Vegas, while the official release for the whole USA was on the 4h of October. The reviews and the opinions regarding the movie are entirely mixed up, the rate in IMDB is also 5.6/10 which is definitely not very realistic score. The film is very well made, the storyline is also structured well, and it keeps you excited through the whole movie. We presume that Runner Runner was underrated because the production is tightly related to gambling, and we all know how many people disapprove it around the globe. Now is the time to proceed with our short Runner Runner movie review.
Runner Runner Review β Prologue
In the very beginning of the movie, we see the nature of Richie’s character and the background story of his life. As a student, he struggles to pay his education, and at some point, he was in front of the hard decision to gamble whatever he got left with the idea to collect the money to graduate. Unfortunately, the game of poker that he played was not that successful, and he lost his money. But he found a gap in the algorithm of the website and decided that this is his big chance to make a difference. We forgot to mention that his father is also a gambler which was an additional height to his shoulders.
The Runner Runner film is about how the young and ambitious Richie Furst risked everything and spent everything to go in Costa Rica, find Ivan Block(the owner of the casino) and tell him personally about the security gap. He bought a plane ticket with his last money and travelled to Costa Rica. First, he supposed to find a way in on the grand party of the casino. This is how Richie met Rebecca, the right hand of Mr Block. He tried to negotiate with her his way in.
On the party itself, Richie made a bold move and approached Ivan with confidence at his table, but of course, Ivan made fun of him in front of his friends and sent him away. The night and his try appeared to be a total disaster. Therefore he went back to his poor hotel to contemplate a way out of the mess he was in. The first thing in the morning was a telephone call from Ivan, who told him that car is waiting for him outside.
Richie went to the billionaire’s yacht where Ivan offered him a job and explained that last evening was not the right time nor place to discuss such matters. The offer included management position, hotel room and everything that one student could dream of.
The Main Act & Story of Runner Runner Movie
From that moment onwards Richie started living his dream, he had everything, good position, money, cars, influence, respect, and he even brought his friends to work for him too. But one of the biggest mistakes at that time was that he fell in love with Ivan’s partner Rebecca.
Certain series of events made Richie start doubting the honesty of Ivan and the legitimacy of the business. First, he was picked by FBI agents who were willing to extort him only to get to Ivan. The second and most serious doubt was when Richie was sent to the local government representatives to deliver a bribe which supposed to be bigger, but Ivan sent him with less money intentionally. Richie took a good beating that night, and it was the night sensed how screwed he was.
Not long after one of the friends he hired called him and told him that he found evidence that the whole online casino business is a Ponzi scheme and Ivan Block is draining the money of thousands of players on the platform. That was not all, Ivan was trying to organize his end this way, so Richie could take the blame for the whole scheme while Ivan moves his business to another island.
Runner Runner Film Epilogue
Immediately after the realized that his role is to be sacrificed as a scapegoat, Richie took his fate in his own hands. He used the oldest trick in the book, or the enemy of my enemy is my friend. He made a deal with the FBI in order to safe his father who was meanwhile kidnapped by Ivan’s thugs. Meanwhile, Richie bribed and won on his side the local authorities who already disliked Mr Block.
In between all these backstabbing actions, Richie and Rebecca fall in love and thought of eventual future together, but it was impossible for the time being. Richie made his own counter plan to trick Ivan Block and put him down for good. He bribed the pilot who supposed to be Ivan’s safe way out. So when Ivan got on the plane, he never realized that the place is not going wherever he wanted it. When he when off the plane, there were dozens of police and FBI officers waiting for him because he was on US soil. Meanwhile, Richie was able to sneak off and get out with Rebecca. He left a flash drive with enough evidence to incriminate and put Ivan behind bars.
FAQ
Asking the right questions will always lead you to the right answers. Therefore, we have prepared the most frequently asked questions about Runner Runner film so you can take advantage of them now. Our Runner Runner review come to its end, but you can still look at our other casino & gambling movie reviews.
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