Reindeer Games

The latest movie from action/suspense godfather John Frankenheimer, who proved again in 1998's Ronin that with one lens tied behind his back he could still out-direct all the upstarts who cite him as influence, unfortunately suffers from overly faddish casting in two of the lead roles. Ben Affleck is Rudy, a reformed car thief getting out of prison just in time to make it home for the holidays. Through an extreme case of mistaken identity that owes to his good nature, he winds up in bed, literally, with Ashley (Charlize Theron), and figuratively with her brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise), who wants to put his supposed experience to use in robbing an under-attended, under-guarded, snowbound Indian casino on Christmas Eve.

Scripted by twisty writer Ehren Kruger (Arlington Road, Scream 3), Reindeer Games was intended for release last December, but got rescheduled to avoid the rush. Bad move; its setting and trappings (the robbers all dress in Santa suits) would have played better at Yule. Instead we're left with some colorful supporting characters (Sinise is as good as ever -- and he oughta be, having not long ago pulled another casino job in Snake Eyes -- as is his gang, which includes Danny Trejo and Clarence Williams III) and Frankenheimer's visual wit (the film begins with a incongruously macabre scene near its climax, then backtracks) to try and carry the day. That's because Affleck, who has done well in romantic comedies, is a little too cheery and amiable as an ex-con battling to save his skin, while Theron, so luminous in Cider House Rules, is equally unconvincing at things that would give away the plot if divulged. At least, with this subject matter, there are plenty of possibilities to get it right for a sequel: taking down heroin dealers in White Christmas, or a ring of cat-burglars in Up on the Housetop. C+

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