A collection of sketches does not add up to a drama in this case
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09/19/08
The Grand (2008)
39
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:41
Fresh:16
Rotten:25
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: The Grand has moments of comic ingenuity, but the jokes in this poker satire often miss.
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: In the tradition of such improv-driven comedies as BEST IN SHOW and A MIGHTY WIND, director Zak Penn (INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS) casts an affectionate eye on the world of professional poker in his... [More]
Starring: Woody Harrelson, David Cross, Dennis Farina, Cheryl Hines
Director: Zak Penn
Reviews for The Grand
For every scene that goes nowhere -- and there are more than a few -- there's some comedy gold lurking around the corner.
09/02/08
THE GRAND has it's funny moments, and there were some things that I laughed hard at, but it's 104 minutes, which is much too long to be consistently funny.
06/08/08
The year's big dramatic gambling hit, 21, is all plot, no personality; The Grand, a comedy that follows six contenders into the finals of a poker tournament, is all personality, no plot. I'll take personality.
04/11/08
The Grand gambles on its cast's improv chops but comes up only with a pair of sevens.
04/11/08
Without Cheryl Hines or Chris Parnell, The Grand would be a fast fold.
04/10/08
Just showing us what ex-sitcom stars and Bavarian directors do in their spare time isn't quite enough to justify The Grand, which does for poker what Best in Show did for dogs while completely avoiding any jokes about poker-playing canines.
04/10/08
There's nothing under the surface of the comedy, although it's rarely less than amusing and frequently hilarious.
04/09/08
The new film The Grand should have been called Werner Herzog Steals the Show because that's precisely what he does in this mockumentary about a poker tournament.
04/07/08
One-eyed Jack Faro's chances aren't assured but low odds amusement is yours for the buy-in. Satire has been dealt better hands with less bluff.
04/06/08
Worth a gamble.
04/04/08
There may be too many cooks here, too many TV stars trying to make an impression in a relatively high-profile independent film, but they connect just often enough to leave you smiling.
04/04/08
You eventually get the feeling that the actors are riffing mainly for each other. Their attitude is, 'We're talented, trust us, we know how to be funny,' but in the end, it's mostly just a bluff.
04/04/08
There are small pleasures, but not many. It especially underwhelms when you consider how Penn seemed to have found a new paradigm for this now-hoary comic form.
04/04/08
There's enough good material in the first act to almost merit a recommendation, but, like a poker player who just stops getting dealt the cards he needs, the film runs out of chips long before the credits roll.
04/04/08
[Director Zak] Penn eases into the candid style and subdued rhythms of the mockumentary with a breezy confidence.
04/03/08
The film is not much more than a gusher of oddball character sketches and ricocheting gags, but its manic pace and over-the-top inventiveness make The Grand a solid bet.
04/03/08
It's hard to believe that a lineup so stellar could generate so few laughs, but there it is.
04/03/08
It's obvious that The Grand's director, Zak Penn, set out to make the Best in Show of high-stakes poker, but to raise the ante, he piles up the absurdities and zany backstories.
03/26/08
There’s a lot of material there in the poker world that is ripe for satire but it misses the boat here almost always.
03/24/08
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