Based on the true story, Kevin Spacey stars as Jack Abramoff - the most notorious lobbyist in the history of Washington, DC politics. After a short career as a Hollywood producer, Abramoff set his sights on building an empire in DC as a lobbyist, restaurateur, scion of education and all around man about town. However, he built that empire by swindling some American Indian tribes trying to build casinos, attempting to buy a floating casino in Florida and playing fast and loose with the law. Casino Jack is entertaining, but needs more detail, background and storytelling. Spacey, along with co-stars Barry Pepper and Jon Lovitz, do a great job creating the characters and making us laugh at their gonzo antics, but director George Hickenlooper and writer Norman Snider don't give us enough of the story to understand exactly what is happening and the extent of the illegality in motion.
Luckily, I'm a DC guy, so I knew the story, but, if you have a life and didn't follow the scandalous tale as it developed, you might find yourself trying to figure out what is happening on the screen.
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)
Casino Jack is rated R for pervasive language, some violence and brief nudity.
