The Last Casino

Infobox Film | name = The Last Casino


caption =
director = Pierre Gill
producer = Greg Dummett
Madeline Henrie
writers = Steven Westren
starring = Charles Martin Smith
Katharine Isabelle
Kris Lemche
Julian Richings
Albert Chung

music = Carl Bastien
Martin Roy
cinematography =
editing = Sylvain Lebel
distributor = The Movie Network
released = 26 June, 2004 (Canada)
runtime = 92 minutes
language = English
budget = $5,000,000 CAD
preceded_by =
followed_by =
imdb_id = 0419909

"The Last Casino" is a 2004 Canadian film on the subject of card counting. This movie draws heavily from the ideas espoused in the book Bringing Down the House.

Premise

Mathematics professor Doug Barnes has big problems. He is seriously addicted to gambling, and is heavily in debt to a vicious gangster (the Usurer). Barnes has been banned from his local casino, and the Usurer wants his money back. Barnes has only one card left up his sleeve . . .

Treatment

Professor Barnes is paid an unexpected call at his university office by the Usurer. Barnes explains he has had a bad patch; but the Usurer wants his money. Barnes quickly comes up with the idea of forming "a team" of card counters, telling the Usurer "It's the only way you'll get your money back". At this, the Usurer snips the tip off the professor's little finger as a warning to pay the debt; but tells him he will consider the proposal. Barnes goes ahead and recruits three of the brightest, if mostly impoverished students from the university, luring them in with the promise of $1,000 per night each for "doing a little math". He then goes ahead and teaches them the art of card counting. Whilst initially highly successful, the three of them soon begin to succumb to the tempation easy money presents, and the pressure is soon on them to raise the money necessary to pay the professor's debts . . .

Cast

*Barnes - Charles Martin Smith
*Elyse - Katharine Isabelle
*Scott - Kris Lemche
*The Usurer - Julian Richings
*George - Albert Chung

External links

*imdb title|id=0419909|title=The Last Casino
* [http://www.maplepictures.com Maple pictures site]