Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Very, very loosely based on the work of Dante Alighieri, this is a quirky and offbeat indie road movie that would have been right at home circa 1994. The story concerns a compulsive gambler named John who tries to rid himself of his addiction by moving from Las Vegas to Albuquerque.… More
  Very, very loosely based on the work of Dante Alighieri, this is a quirky and offbeat indie road movie that would have been right at home circa 1994. The story concerns a compulsive gambler named John who tries to rid himself of his addiction by moving from Las Vegas to Albuquerque. He finds work at an auto insurance company, and finds potential romance with a smiley faced obsessed co-worker named Jill, but his old temptations make a comeback when he gets sent out to investigate a dubious car accident on the outskirts of Sin City. Along the way, John and his co-worker Virgil, and experienced fraud investigator, meet a series of colorful characters who, in their own way, help John try to fight off his demons for good. I should love this movie. It's Buscemi headlining a quirky indie that's populated by odd characters played by a host of fun character actors. I mean, we get Tim Blake Nelson as a nude militant, John Cho as a 'human torch' performer at a carnival, Emanuelle Chriqui as a paraplegic stripper, Romany Malco as Virgil, and Sarah Silverman as Jill, so how could this fail? Oh yeah, there's also Peter Dinklage as John's boss, and Danny Trejo and Aviva (Nikola from Superbad) making cameos as well. Here's how it falls short: there's no real story here. It's aimless, half-baked, and lazy. The situations make for a good set up, but the direction is lackluster, inept, and severely lacking. It doesn't do enough with the concept to really make it worth it. Plus, the shots and composition are pretty half-assed, ruining the potential for more humor and cleverness. I'd rate it lower, but Buscemi does elevate it some. It's pointless, but somehow not boring. I can't explain that. Maybe I'd like it more if it really did come out back in the 90s. At least then I'd be able to excuse it for cashing in on the zeitgeist. Since it's from 2009, I unfortunately can't be as forgiving.

• Everett J

  
  After a long string of bad luck gambling in his hometown of Las Vegas, John(Steve Buscemi) decides to try to live a normal life. He's moved to Albuquerque and works for an auto insurance company. One day he gets offered a chance to move up by helping with the investigation of… More
  After a long string of bad luck gambling in his hometown of Las Vegas, John(Steve Buscemi) decides to try to live a normal life. He's moved to Albuquerque and works for an auto insurance company. One day he gets offered a chance to move up by helping with the investigation of an accident and trying to prove it's fraudulent. The accident took place outside of Vegas, and his old gambling addiction comes back and he's once again at the mercy of temptation. Buscemi does a fantastic job with such a subpar movie. He's usually great, and here he is his usual awesome self. The whole cast is terrific. Peter Dinklage, Sarah Silverman, and Romney Malco all do great with the little their given. The story is interesting, but it feels like it's missing quite a bit. The movie runs at 85 minutes, which is good as it short and paced good. But, it feels like this movie needed more, and given more it could have been a great movie. Instead, it's like lost potential. Watch for the great cast, but don't expect a great movie to match. If you want a low budget independent movie dealing with Vegas, check out "The Cooler" instead.

• Melvin W

  
  "Getting Lucky is a Roll of the Dice" I was intrigues by this movie because it had Steve Buscemi in the leading role and Romany Malco, who I really liked in Weeds. The movie could never really pull itself together though. I really have no idea what this movie was trying to… More
  "Getting Lucky is a Roll of the Dice" I was intrigues by this movie because it had Steve Buscemi in the leading role and Romany Malco, who I really liked in Weeds. The movie could never really pull itself together though. I really have no idea what this movie was trying to accomplish or what it was trying to be. Saint John of Las Vegas had some pretty bizarre scenes that were okay like the discussion with a carnival performer who kept bursting into flames. After a couple of scenes though, everything else are just throw away scenes that don't work. Buscemi and Malco weren't bad, they just had nothing to work with. Silverman was her usual annoying self. I dont see how anyone can like her. She isn't funny at all.  It seems to me like the writer and director was trying to be too original. The premise could have been cool had it actually turned into a real movie, but it never does.  I was really hoping to like this. I always like to enjoy an Independent film that nobody else likes or has seen. This one just can't be enjoyed though; too bad.

• Greg S

  
  An insurance claims adjuster with a gambling problem is sent to Las Vegas to investigate a wheelchair-bound stripper's car accident. The gambling addiction makes for a nice hook and the cast is appealing (Steve Buscemi and Sarah Silverman), but it never really comes together as… More
  An insurance claims adjuster with a gambling problem is sent to Las Vegas to investigate a wheelchair-bound stripper's car accident. The gambling addiction makes for a nice hook and the cast is appealing (Steve Buscemi and Sarah Silverman), but it never really comes together as a comedy. For unclear reasons, there are lots of references to Dante's "Inferno."

• Jeffrey M

  
  Despite what should be an ideal cast for a black comedy, Saint John of Las Vegas turns out to be a movie without much of a story. The humor is extremely sparse, most of the movie is seemingly random set pieces with poor dialogue and lackluster direction. Itâ(TM)s dull, forgettable,… More
  Despite what should be an ideal cast for a black comedy, Saint John of Las Vegas turns out to be a movie without much of a story. The humor is extremely sparse, most of the movie is seemingly random set pieces with poor dialogue and lackluster direction. Itâ(TM)s dull, forgettable, and a waste of all the talent involved.

• Lane Z

  
  Steve Buscemi is a weird man. He acts weird and looks weird, but he's still the best part about this movie. Probably the only good part. It's quirky and silly. Sometimes those movies are worth a watch for the dry humor but this one strays too far off the path. I… More
  Steve Buscemi is a weird man. He acts weird and looks weird, but he's still the best part about this movie. Probably the only good part. It's quirky and silly. Sometimes those movies are worth a watch for the dry humor but this one strays too far off the path. I confusing story line and not enough character development with some odd dream sequences make this one a dud. I mean, we don't even travel to Vegas and it's in the title.

• Stephen E

  
  "Saint John of Las Vegas" has a lot of big names attached to it: Steve Buscemi, Romany Malco, Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, John Cho, Spike Lee, Stanley Tucci, Danny Trejo and Emmanuelle Chriqui. What did they see in this film? There is absolutely… More
  "Saint John of Las Vegas" has a lot of big names attached to it: Steve Buscemi, Romany Malco, Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, John Cho, Spike Lee, Stanley Tucci, Danny Trejo and Emmanuelle Chriqui. What did they see in this film? There is absolutely nothing about it that deserves attention. It is unfunny, incoherent, and poorly written, directed, and edited. The word 'forgettable' has never suited a film better than "Saint John of Las Vegas." It amazes me how this didn't go straight-to-DVD.

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