I had read the excellent reviews of this flick when it came out in 1998 but never had a chance to catch it (it was an "art house" release) so was pleased to find it in the video store recently, and happy to relate that the reviews were right. I have no personal experience with gambling so I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the casino scenes, but I can say that they are very convincing, especially from the standpoint of the human dramas that unfold there. Clive Owen is just superb as the hard-edged and terminally cynical Jack Manfred. I, like another reviewer here, usually dislike voiceovers but in this case I find they are an effective and often humorous commentary to the proceedings. The surprising development at the end provides a nice twist to the effective story that has preceded it, and fits in well with the theme of the movie. As tough as he is, we can't help liking Jack. This movie was a welcome relief from the run-of-the-mill Hollywood "product" that is churned out by the mile nowadays.