neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Owning Mahowny
	Richard Kwietniowski Philip Seymour Hoffman, Minnie Driver, John Hurt, Maury Chaykin 2003		In 1982, Toronto bank manager Dan Mahowny's gambling addiction and his resulting debt were so overwhelming that he began to embezzle on the job — filching millions of dollars. Director Richard Kwietniowski took that true story and made the sterling "Owning Mahowny." It has more funny moments than some comedies and more tension than some thrillers, but what makes "Owning Mahowny" zing is the tragedy at the core. Mahowny, played with sweaty desperation by Philip Seymour Hoffman, may be a corporate functionary in a dull post, but he's a tragic figure, because he's willing to risk his career and to potentially alienate his oblivious, accommodating girlfriend (Minnie Driver in an unflattering blonde wig). As he gets deeper in debt to a local bookie (Maury Chaykin), Mahowny spends more time at an Atlantic City casino where the canny boss (John Hurt) recognizes a mark and gives the unassuming nebbish the status and privileges of a high-roller. The gifted Hoffman makes the most of a rich, complex part that's perfectly suited to the befuddled-loser persona he honed in movies such as "25th Hour," "Love Liza" and "Boogie Nights."