Lions Gate Home Entertainment is scheduled to release “Finder’s Fee” on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The cast collectively and individually give great performances. They continuously ‘up the ante’ in their performances right until the very last moment. If you can’t find it to rent, buy it.
This is truly a rare film with seamless acting and real characters.
The premise of this fast paced film is: What would you do if you found a wallet containing a winning lottery ticket worth $6 million?
This movie takes place over the course of a couple of hours, one night in a New York city apartment. Our hero Tepper (Erik Palladino) finds a wallet on the way home and telephones a number in the wallet, trying to return it.
Then he discovers that it contains a winning lottery ticket. His buddies show up for their weekly poker session. Traditionally, one hand is always played for a lottery ticket bought before the game. Each player is honor-bound not to check the ticket to find if the purchased ticket is a winner.
Then James Earl Jones playing Avery Phillips, the owner of the wallet, shows up in response to the Tepper’s telephone call. Tepper, has replaces Phillips ticket with the lottery ticket he bought he bought earlier and keeps Phillips ticket -- the one that has the winning lottery numbers worth $6 million.
As the cover queries: “The numbers don’t lie, but the player’s just might. For a $6 million Finder’s fee would you stab your friends in the back?”
James Earl Jones is great as always, Robert Forster has a small but memorable role as Officer Campbell who wants to go home to his family
As one person said, “ … the obvious star of the movie is the script. Written and directed by Jeff Probst, there are so many great plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. You won't believe,” some of the things you are led to discover while watching this release.
“Finder’s Fee” explores the themes of loyalty, honesty and friendship. What is so great about this movie is how such a simple idea quickly turns into an intellectual thriller.
It's unfortunate that movies like this are so rare. The plot twists are surprising and the actors work together very well.
When you stop and realize that about 98 percent of the action takes place in one room of an apartment and the viewer is so completely caught up in the interplay between the poker players that fact isn’t even realized until you start telling someone about the release.
This is a movie about real and complex characters in which the acting is so seamless that the viewer can relax and enjoy the story. This is a beautiful piece of ensemble work.
The five main characters are played to perfection by an amazing cast and their actions drive the story from one scene to the next toward a dramatic conclusion.
The interplay between Jones and Ryan Reynolds is fascinating to watch and probably the best reason to view the film a second time. I found myself with my mouth open at the end of the DVD because of the audacity.
Finder’s Fee captured the Best Film Award at the Seattle International Film Festival and "Best Screenplay" at the Method Fest Film Festival. Watch it and you'll discover the reasons.
Cast: Erik Palladino, James Earl Jones, Matthew Lillard, Ryan Reynolds, Dash Mihok, Carly Pope, Robert Forster, Frances Bay and Colleen Wheeler
Ryan Reynolds and James Earl Jones in "Finder's Fee"
Dash Mihok, Matthew Lillard, Ryan Reynolds, James Earl Jones in "Finders Fee."