Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Bookies is a movie directed by Mark Illsley, focusing on the addictive and intriguing world of sports-betting on college campuses. This is a very adult movie. It's rated R for severe language, and adult content (gambling and drugs). But this movie was extremely enjoyable.

Basic Plot

Toby, Casey, and Jude are three college friends. Drawn into the world of sports-betting, the excitement is addictive, and they soon discover that they crave even more of a thrill. How to accomplish this? Become underground bookies. What starts as a small time business running from one phone and a bunch of post-it notes tacked to a bulletin board on a dorm wall quickly balloons into a high-tech, full-time endeavor. One which rapidly flies out of control, changing their friendships, and their very lives, forever.

What I Liked

How the story is told:
The story is told from main character Toby's point of view. Played by Nick Stahl, Toby is smart and ambitious, but reckless, and looking for a thrill. Occasionally the action is paused so that Toby can narrate for us. I like movies that are narrated in this fashion, I feel they give us a lot more information when we're privy to the inside thoughts of the main character.

The flashback technique:
The movie starts out near the end of the story. The three friends are watching a basketball game and we're told, "5 baskets, 10 points, 100 thousand dollars... How did we get here?". In a fun direction style, we're then shown 30 seconds or so of scenes for the upcoming movie in very rapid-reverse. In effect, we're rewinding the story back to the very beginning. I like movies that are made in this style. The whole time you're watching the movie, watching these college kids dabble in a small-time betting ring, in the back your mind, you know things are going to spiral out of control, to the point where big money is involved.

Interesting subtitles:
Yes, I said subtitles. Even though this is an English language film, it uses subtitles to provide definitions whenever a term is used that might not be familiar to the general audience. Certainly for someone unfamiliar with the world of sports-betting, the definitions on the screen would make the film easier to understand. The first such subtitle came up when the term "vig" was used. The vig is the fee that the bookie takes, typically 10% of the amount of the bet. This vig makes up the bookie's profit - after all, in the long run, the bookie will pay off as many bets as he wins, and he has to make his money somehow. As this term is used throughout the movie, I'm sure many audience members were helped by having the definition.

The storyline:
I usually like movies centered around the world of gambling, and this was no exception. Particularly interesting was watching how the small-time idea to have some fun, and make a few bucks blossomed into something so big, and so out of control that the characters nearly lost themselves in the process. The kids don't know what to do with all that money. Spent on drugs, gadgets, and fancy cars, none of it really brings happiness. Friendships are tested, loyalties are questioned, lessons are learned, and lives are changed forever.

What I Didn't Like

The language:
The amount of profanity used among these three college friends is extreme. Some amount of harsh language would be expected among college-age guys, but I thought this was over the top.

Overall Impression

The interesting story, and fun direction style of the movie far outweigh the bad language. Overall, this was a very enjoyable movie. If you enjoy stories about gambling, sports, or college kids too smart for their own good, and you can handle the "colorful" language, this movie will definitely appeal to you.

Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age