Though hardly an apologia, Abramoff is filled out by the presence of children, his genuinely warm relationship with his wife (Kelly Preston) and charitable and philanthropic activities.

What anchors the picture is its attention to the personal lives of Abramoff and his partner Michael Scanlon (Barry Pepper), a former aide to DeLay (unmentioned in the film). The line of attack is anything but cut and dried. His demise is largely viewed as the result of getting personally involved with Sun Sail, appointing an erratic shadow rep (Jon Lovitz) and events that led to the murder of the floating casino’s owner. In the process of securing favorable legislation for his clients we get a first hand look at his schmoozing finesse with high ranking officials, particularly Tom DeLay (Spencer Garrett), Republican leader in the U.S. The script elects to focus on Abramoff’s efforts for Indian casinos as well as the fictionalised SunCruz Casinos (redubbed Sun Sail for the movie). The action then reels back two years to considerably better and headier times (the filmmakers have played fast and loose with the real time line condensing events that occurred as far back as 2001 into a 24 month span).

Opening with his arrest in 2005, Casino Jack adroitly conveys the rapidity his profile transitioned from kingmaker to pariah. Building upon that it could see some solid niche business in foreign markets. acquisition geared toward securing some late year critical and award recognition. The film has good commercial prospects with a quick, savvy U.S.

The basic facts are culled from actual events but the focus is more personalized pinpointing the rise and fall of an individual making his American dream come true without fully understanding its meaning or nuance. No doubt some will find plenty to chew on about American society and politics but director George Hickenlooper and writer Norman Snider wisely steer clear of playing those cards flipped over. The film features the final role of Maury Chaykin in a nice turn as a “seen it all” Italian gangster. Grounded by a riveting performance from Kevin Spacey as the disgraced influence peddler, the film is a scattershot approach to recent history that while slightly overblown in approach, maintains the fun of the pursuit of power and lucre throughout. The ripped from the headlines saga of Washington uber lobbyist Jack Abramoff (already the subject of the recent documentary release Casino Jack & the United States of Money) forms the basis for the sprightly, fictionalised Casino Jack that premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival.

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