Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Howard L. Weiner and starring Martin Landau, Paul Sorvino and Maria Dizzia. It is about a character named Dr. Abe Mandelbaum, played by Landau, who is placed in a retirement home while incapable of managing his wife's decaying health.
| Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Howard L. Weiner |
| Screenplay by | Howard L. Weiner |
| Produced by | Howard L. Weiner |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Terrence Hayes |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Steven Argila |
Production company | Long Road Film |
| Distributed by | Gravitas Features |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It was the first feature film by Weiner, a neurologist. It debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, before Landau's death in July 2017. It received mixed reviews, with some positive assessments of Landau's performance.
Cast edit
- Martin Landau as Dr. Abe Mandelbaum
- Paul Sorvino as Phil Nicoletti
- Maria Dizzia as Angela Donadio
- Ann Marie Shea as Molly Mandelbaum
- Pamela Dubin as Sheryl
- Alexander Cook as Richard Grollman
- Lyralen Kaye as Sister Elizabeth
Production edit
Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game was the first feature film written and directed by Professor Howard L. Weiner, a neurologist. Weiner stated that in medical school, he made his own music videos about The Beatles, and viewed cinema as another medium to pursue truth.[1] He forwarded the screenplay to an Emerson College cinema instructor, who saw promise in it and gave him advice.[2]
Weiner's son, television writer Ron Weiner, contacted producers and had some scenes shot in Los Angeles. It was filmed over five weeks.[2] Howard Weiner also produced it for Premiere Entertainment.[3]
Landau chose to take the role, saying "It was unusual, and it kept unfolding in unpredictable ways".[1]
Release edit
The film screened at the Tribeca Film Festival under the title The Last Poker Game, the only directorial and writing debut of a septuagenarian at Tribeca that year.[1] Martin Landau attended the spring festival, for his last film released before he died in July 2017.[4] A trailer was published in November 2017 ahead of the January 12, 2018 theatrical and video-on-demand release.[5]
Reception edit
As of February 18, 2018[update] the film has a 67% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 9 reviews.[6] Metacritic also gave it a score of 48, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[7]
Pete Hammond, writing for Deadline Hollywood, assessed it as "not only a touching, funny, quite raunchy (especially in its depiction of senior sex) dramedy, it is exceptionally well made".[2] Variety critic Joe Leydon assessed it as "low-key and deeply felt", and hailed Landau for his best performance since 1994's Ed Wood, commenting Landau's death could also influence viewers' perspectives on him playing a character close to death.[8] Ben Kenigsberg in The New York Times criticized it for "flat direction", adding Weiner at least incorporated his medical expertise, "however awkwardly presented".[9] The Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore called it "tepid" but said Landau "delivers with dignity in an uplift-oriented project".[10] In the Los Angeles Times, Michael Rechtshaffen judged Landau "effective" but said the film was on "a wobbly line between melancholic and mawkish".[11]
References edit
- ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (April 28, 2017). "'The Last Poker Game' Star Martin Landau On Ageism In Hollywood And Roles He Is Happy To Turn Down — Tribeca Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ^ a b c Hammond, Pete (April 24, 2017). "An Oscar Winner & A 72-Year-Old Neurologist-Turned-Filmmaker Combine For Festival's Most Unique Movie – Tribeca". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (May 21, 2017). "Premiere plays Tribeca title 'The Last Poker Game' with Martin Landau and Paul Sorvino". Screen Daily. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ^ Blas, Lorena (July 16, 2017). "Veteran actor Martin Landau dead at 89". USA Today. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (July 16, 2017). "See Martin Landau's final role in exclusive trailer for 'Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game'". USA Today. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- ^ "ABE & PHIL'S LAST POKER GAME (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^ "Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game 2018". Metacritic. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^ Leydon, Joe (January 12, 2018). "Film Review: 'Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game'". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (January 11, 2018). "Review: Martin Landau and Paul Sorvino in 'Abe and Phil's Last Poker Game'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^ DeFore, John (January 12, 2018). "'Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^ Rechtshaffen, Michael (January 11, 2018). "Martin Landau's last role gets lost in suds of soapy 'Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
External links edit
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