Shade (2003)

67% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
58% of users liked it
(6,116 ratings)

Shade, the first feature film from real-life card shark Damian Nieman, who wrote and directed the picture, stars Gabriel Byrne and Thandie Newton as a duo of con artists looking to beat the "Dean" (Sylvester Stallone), a legendary card shark, in a high-stakes poker game. Their first step is hiring… More Shade, the first feature film from real-life card shark Damian Nieman, who wrote and directed the picture, stars Gabriel Byrne and Thandie Newton as a duo of con artists looking to beat the "Dean" (Sylvester Stallone), a legendary card shark, in a high-stakes poker game. Their first step is hiring two fellow tricksters -- Jamie Foxx and Stuart Townsend -- to provide the smooth talking and to procure the necessary funds. Unfortunately, Larry (Foxx) blows his hand and finds himself with 85,000 dollars worth of debt owed to a local crime boss. Shade premiered at the 2003 CineVegas film festival and also features Dina Merrill and Melanie Griffith. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Damian Nieman
Written By: Damian Nieman
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2003 Wide
On DVD: May 25, 2004
Studio: RKO Pictures

Critic Reviews

Robert Koehler, Variety
Card sharks and grifters look like the stuff of an engrossing movie in Shade, but, in the end, under-realized direction and characters deliver less than a full deck.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Loaded with dizzying cons and betrayals, it pays off with a satisfying and unpredictable finish.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
A dramatic thriller with a large cast playing the hell out of some very juicy roles.
Bill Clark, FromTheBalcony
Shade is the kind of film that makes for a perfect Saturday night rental.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
...the plot becomes almost irrelevant -- these guys are just fun to watch, and only Newton seems to be on a vain superstar trip.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
A failure on every conceivable level -- from its trite, pedestrian dialogue to its static, torturous pacing.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
O diretor/roteirista Damian Nieman mantém o filme com um ritmo sempre envolvente e conta com as ótimas atuações de todo o elenco (Stallone e Townsend, em especial).
Todd Gilchrist, FilmStew.com
With so many sucker bets coercing your hand before you're really ready to make a safe cinematic wager, this will be one film you won't mind losing your money to see.
Bridget Byrne, Boxoffice Magazine
Too much of a jumble.
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
Good fun for those who like Mametian con-inside-a-con-inside-a-con trickery.
Hazel-Dawn Dumpert, L.A. Weekly
Through some mystery of connection and financing that involves producer Merv Griffin, many worthy players are degraded by Nieman's amateur stylings.
Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals
In a movie about the con, the play is to hustle the audience into thinking it's more than it is.
, E! Online
A fan of gambling flicks? Then, ante up for this one.
Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com
Audiences are (or should be) too keen on the con genre for filmmakers to keep expecting wide-eyed reactions on twist after twist, but this is a pretty decent one and outside of Mamet it's not often something you should expect.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
In the game of con-poker, a pair of card mechanics beats a full house of gangsters every time.

Read all 15 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Wahida K

When gambling your life, leave nothing to chance.
Al S

A swift, smart and wickedly entertaing crime thriller. Tense, clever and really cool. Teriffically funny and suspensful. Great twist and turns that never let up. Lot's of fun and enjoyment. A con you cant help but get caught up in. The cast is brilliant. Stuart Townsend, Thandie… More
A swift, smart and wickedly entertaing crime thriller. Tense, clever and really cool. Teriffically funny and suspensful. Great twist and turns that never let up. Lot's of fun and enjoyment. A con you cant help but get caught up in. The cast is brilliant. Stuart Townsend, Thandie Newton and Gabriel Bryne are sizzeling. The three actors have great chemistry. Sylvester Stallone is teriffic. One of his best performances in years. It has the flash and cash to keep up.
Cassandra M

Shade is the story about one great poker mechanic (Vernon) pitted against the best (The Dean). Then the story gets incredibly tangled and you're not too sure what is really happening until the very end, which throws me for a loop every time I see it. But the crux of this plot is… More
Shade is the story about one great poker mechanic (Vernon) pitted against the best (The Dean). Then the story gets incredibly tangled and you're not too sure what is really happening until the very end, which throws me for a loop every time I see it. But the crux of this plot is the big poker game with the very best that are around. Our hero, Vernon, gets his buy-in through the financial backing of his partners, Tiffany and Charlie Miller. The game takes place, then starts this domino of events that are just plain absurd, and then we see the truth and pick up our slacked jaws. The way the movie is done reminds me a bit of Pulp Fiction in that the first half of the movie is not straight forward, but sideways we can say. It adds a really neat feel to the movie and kind of keeps you guessing for a while. The club/bar scenes and techno music add a nice flavor to the hustling vibe this movie has, big props for that in my opinion. The acting seems a bit forced for some, especially Tiffany, but otherwise it's a good little flick. I'd say overall somewhere near a 7.75/10, but since there's no fractions I gave it an 8. If you enjoy poker/hustling/Stallone, check this one out.
Deb S

"Shade" is a story of small-time crooks trying to make big... the characters were alright, and the plot OK with some twists and turns. Fairly decent "Big Con" movie, although not in the class of "The Sting" featuring Jamie Foxx, Sylvester Stallone,… More
"Shade" is a story of small-time crooks trying to make big... the characters were alright, and the plot OK with some twists and turns. Fairly decent "Big Con" movie, although not in the class of "The Sting" featuring Jamie Foxx, Sylvester Stallone, Melanie Griffith, Gabriel Bryne and Thandie Newton. There is a card mechanic performing numerous tricks with a deck of cards, shot from various angles at opening credits......fascinating.
Remi L

I'm a fan of Thandie Newton and Stuart Townsend, but this film did nothing for me.
Linda K

Not so bad for a poker game film! Although it is much more than about the game.
FanGirl B

I didn't expect this film to be any good, but it was. I liked it a lot more then I was expecting to.