The Winner (15)

Leathery director Alex Cox (he made Repo Man and Sid And Nancy) has disassociated himself from The Winner, claiming that, after its stint in the editing suite, he does not consider the final cut to be "his work or his vision". It's a wise move on Cox's part, since this tale of Vegas lowlifers is a complete misfire. Vincent D'Onofrio is a gambler who can never lose, surrounded by various gold-diggers desperate to exploit his extraordinary winning streak. It's a strong cast on paper - including Rebecca de Mornay, Michael Madsen and Delroy Lindo - but the characters they play are remarkably uninvolving, while the film, which culminates in a ludicrous shoot-out, is bereft of any style, humour or interesting ideas.

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