Rogue Cinema - Bookie (2007)

Bookie (2007) - By Brian Morton
Posted on Saturday, March 01 @ Mountain Standard Time by Duane

I have to admit, crime dramas have always fascinated me. Whether it's The Godfather or just something like Ocean's Eleven (the original not the lame remake), there's always been something just a bit thrilling about being the bad guy. But, if the bad guy is actually a good guy (at least at heart) then it just seems to make the movie a bit more believable. That's what I took away from the new short, Bookie.

Set in the 1960, in a small dance club, Bookie is the story of a bookie, who's taking bets on the big fight that's about to take place. We first meet bookie when he tries to stop a couple of thugs from beating up someone who can't pay up. You see, bookie isn't the boss, he works for the club owner. As the story unfolds, we see that bookie is just a guy doing a job, he's not there to judge or to get rich, and he’s just doing his job. But, bookie has one other interest, it's one of the club's waitresses, but she's not interested in him, she's looking for a high roller to 'take her away from all this'.

The really great thing about Bookie is that it actually leaves you wanting more. I won't give away the ending, but you'll actually wonder what happens when bookie and the waitress leave. Will they be followed? Will they end up together? Is it all over, or only just beginning? And, to me, that's the sign of a really good movie. Bookie is the story of people trying to make their lives better, but without any of the tools that they might need, so all their hopes are placed with dreams and fantasies. Bookie gets a rating of four out of four cigars, because it's a fun movie that will actually leave you wanting more...which most movies today don't really do! So, until next time, when I'll be out trying to place a retro-active bet on the Super Bowl, remember that the best movies are bad movies.