Predictable plot overshadows on-form cast
Shade stars Gabriel Byrne and Thandie Newton as Charlie and Tiffany, two card sharks looking to team up with a few others to make a big killing in a game of high-stakes poker.
Along with a motley crew of con men and women, they recruit Vernon (Stuart Townsend), a dab hand at dealing the right hand at the right time and one of the top talents in the underground tournament circuit.
Their big con goes off a treat, but they end up earning more than they bargained for.
The swindled money belongs to a local mob boss, and he wants it back.
Shade is well-produced, fast-paced, with a top-quality cast doing their best to keep us entertained.
The only problem is this kind of grifter tale has been done to death over the last few years. The well has been visited too often and the surprises have all dried up, leaving us with a plot that’s oh so predictable.
Drama, 15. 2/5.
