StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

albrechtcm This tells the sad story of a perfectly nice man's slide into addiction. This isn't about alcohol or drugs, but an addiction to gambling. An addiction so overwhelming that it nearly destroys his life, and the lives of others. Smoothly directed and carefully filmed, each frame that rests on Mr. Hoffman's face clearly reveals this consummate actor's inner struggle. As he sinks ever deeper into his addiction and the criminal activity necessary to keep going, we suffer along with him, knowing that in the end there's only hopelessness — but he still can't stop, and neither can we. Ms Driver as his faithful and long-suffering partner is just as real in her devotion combined with her helplessness in the face of this rival, a rival she cannot hope to best. The supporting cast is excellent, all real and all real people. This is not a feel-good story. It's depressing but at the same time fascinating as we watch Mr. Hoffman's descent into his own personal hell, a hell he cannot allow anyone else to enter with him.

nybred4 The reason movie lovers trust Hoffman is because he's never fumbled. He's simply as dependable as one can reasonably hope. He's great in Owning Mahowny, which I consider astounding, even to Hoffman fanatics.Considering the tripe he's handicapped with the man's magic turned lemons into lemonade. John Hurt and Minnie Driver were unable to sweeten the lemons. It proves they're human.I've often wondered why gambling consultants are not used with a movie such as this. If a brain surgeon used a Cutco bread knife to open a skull, wouldn't the scene be wrecked for 99%+ of the audience. Maybe the producers are content to kiss off the gambling public and stick with the LCD formula. If you don't gamble, enjoy, If you do gamble, grab your clicker.

kenjha Based on a true story, a bank manager embezzles millions to satisfy his gambling habit. The film jumps right into the gambling scene without any exposition. Hoffman is certainly a fine actor but he's given little to work with here. He gives a rather monotonous performance defined by blank stares, revealing little about his character. Although the focus of the film is Mahoney's gambling addiction, we are given no insight whatsoever as to why he's so addicted. The attraction is not the money, as he would always keep gambling until he lost everything. Despite the goofy blonde wig, Driver turns in a sweet performance as a very understanding girlfriend.

postmanwhoalwaysringstwice The brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffmann stars as Dan Mahowny in the film "Owning Mahowny", as a bank employee with a serious gambling problem. The film recreates a real incident that occurred in Toronto in the early 1980's when Brian Molony, a bank clerk, embezzled over ten million dollars from his bank over an 18-month period. This character driven film presents the man as a quiet, but dependable employee. What seems less visible is his awkward, but determined drive to gamble. The internal struggle Hoffmann's character goes through when confronted with walking away from the table with a big win in one sequence stands as the core of the film. This is a film about addiction in a less seen arena than drugs or alcohol, but the effects and the enabling seem quite similar. Unfortunately, the film does not fare well beyond Hoffmann's award worthy performance. The story is too flat and at times too uninvolving to be sustained by his performance alone.