Set in the underground world of Los Angeles card sharks and gamblers, this slick neo-noir is a gripping ensemble drama that pays homage to hard-boiled heist directors like Mamet and Scorsese. SHADE, a gambling term for deception and trickery, revolves around a ring of small-time hustlers with dreams of the big payoff. Tiffany (Thandie Newton) is a beautiful and calculating swindler who works together with her partner Charlie (Gabriel Byrne) in nickel-and-dime schemes. But when one card shark, The Dean (Sylvester Stallone), seems to be unbeatable, they devise a scheme to topple his flawless run. They recruit Tiffany's old flame, Vernon (Stuart Townsend) a card mechanic and sleight-of-hand genius and hustler Jennings (Jamie Foxx) to maneuver their way on to The Dean's poker table. But all is not what it seems in this twisting and turning thriller: deception abounds. Secret love affairs and allegiances are kindled, and The Dean, whom everyone is trying to hustle, plays a dirty game with the help of his ex-girlfriend, Eve (Melanie Griffith). In a game of who's cheating whom, each player becomes a pawn in another's swindle. Debut writer-director Damian Nieman films the card tricks with flair, making the poker-faced manipulations visible to the viewer and adding to the high stakes tension of the film.
DVD Features:
Region [unknown]
Keep Case
Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Surround 5.1 English
Dolby Surround Stereo 5.1 Espanol
Distributor Notes: The hand is quicker than the eye in LA?s underground gambling scene, hustlers getting hustled and fortunes ride on every deal. Three small time grifters devise with a plan to beat the ultimate card mechanic- The Dean. But a seat at The Dean?s table doesn?t come cheap
Source: Warner Home Video
Executive Producer
Bo Hopkins: American Supporting Actor
Executive Producer
Joe Nicolo: Executive Producer, SHADE (2004)
Executive Producer
Merv Griffin: Talk show host; media tycoon
Director of Photography
Anthony Richmond: Director of Photography, MEN OF HONOR (2000)
Review 1:
"Loaded with dizzying cons and betrayals, it pays off with a satisfying and unpredictable finish."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C18 04/09/2004
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