Starring: Will Sasso, Scott Wolf, Eric Mabius
Directed by: Randall Batinkoff
Rated: Rated R
Running time: 97 minutes
Inside Game is a rather new film directed by Randall Batinkoff and written by Andy Callahan. The movie revolves around the NBA’s gambling scandal when three men were able to nearly bankrupt multiple gambling operators by simply being in close proximity with NBA coaches and players as well.
Depending on the talks going on behind the curtains, three friends played expertly by Will Sasso, Scott Wolf and Eric Mabius managed to make a fortune which didn’t really last them that long.
The movie came out on November 1st, 2019 and has received quite a positive reply from the community. It currently has 29% rotten tomatoes, and a 5.6 IMDB rating, while 87% of Google users have said that they enjoyed the film very much.
What isn’t there to enjoy as well? The adventure of three friends, James “Baba” Battista, Tim Donaghy and Tomy Martino tackle a whole industry wich just their specialties is a marvel to look at.
The plot thickens
The plot itself is that Donaghy, who is a trainer himself will supply both Baba and Martino with valuable inside information from locker rooms and conversations with players themselves. This later allows Baba to apply the magic in his and many other sportsbooks considering he works in one, while Martino is like the “lay low” detector who tries to protect the group from being spotted.
Unfortunately, the trio becomes a bit too careless due to greed and is approached by the FBI which finds a lead on them through an unrelated case they were doing earlier.
All three men find themselves arrested and trialed in a courtroom, which is all too familiar for an average blockbuster, crime or drama fan.
The movie stands as a bastion of what greed and chasing alternative loyalties could do to childhood friendships, and that insider information and cheating can get men nothing but dozens of years in jail, rather than dozens of stacks of franklins.
Although the movie is not sensational in any way, it does stand on its own for a gambling/crime movie, to begin with.
The performance of the actors is more than adequate, especially the almost “effortless” amazing delivery from Sasso playing the serious yet exciting Baba.