Owning Mahowny (2003)
Directed by Richard Kwietniowski
Written by Maurice Chauvet
Starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John Hurt, Minnie Driver, Maury Chaykin
Release Date May 2nd, 2003
Published August 12th, 2003
Obsessive and addictive personalities often make great film dramas. Think Nicolas Cage's dying alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas, or Jason Patric's drug addicted cop in Rush. To a lesser extent Vin Diesel's adrenaline junkies in Fast and The Furious and XXX. Add to those performances Philip Seymour Hoffman's engrossing gambling addict in Owning Mahowny, a performance so strong it elevates a rather mundane drama to unexpected levels.
Dan Mahowney is yet another of those indistinct characters that Philip Seymour Hoffman excels at making memorable. He's a dull looking banker with a secret life as a big time gambler. At first it's endless weekends at the local racetrack, then it's betting on major league sports with his small-time bookie played by Maury Chaykin. Once Dan receives a promotion at the bank and the ability to write checks to himself from his clients’ accounts, Dan is off to Atlantic City. There, his obsession grows from two and three thousand dollar bets to ten, fifteen and one hundred thousand dollar bets.
Aided by the casino boss Victor Foss (the invaluable John Hurt), Dan is able to open a line of credit with the casino that he grows into the millions. All the while he haphazardly attempts to hide his gambling from his cuckolded girlfriend Belinda (Minnie Driver). Cuckolded not for another woman but by Dan's gambling which is closer to his heart than any human being could be.
As much as I love Minnie Driver, she just doesn't fit the role of Belinda. Her innate intelligence and the residue of her wonderful characters from Good Will Hunting and Grosse Pointe Blank, make her difficult to believe as a spineless enabler of Dan's obsession. In addition, her good looks overpower the characters' frumpy clothes and hairstyle. You can almost see her glamorous black curls trying to fight their way free of her ugly blonde wig.
Director Richard Kwietniowski working from a complicated novel from writer Gary Ross has the difficult task of making a rather mundane dramatic setup entertaining. It isn't easy to make bank fraud seem exciting. He succeeds only because his star Philip Seymour Hoffman is so fascinating you can’t stop watching him. It's a performance of quiet desperation that pours out of his skin. His every facial movement evokes drama and tension, far more tension than the situations surrounding him.
Hoffman has done this before, rehabilitating material that may not be worthy of his talent. Owning Mahowny is worthy of his considerable talent and only he can make it work. It is a brilliant performance, engrossing and entertaining. For fans of Hoffman, it's a true feast. For the casual fan, it works only because Hoffman is so good.
