Ben Affleck in Runner Runner
Despite the risks – statistical and
criminal – online gambling holds innumerable attractions. In today's post-economic-meltdown world,
young people have fewer job options than ever before. But that hasn't done
anything to affect their desire to get-rich-quickly. This generation – consumers from early
childhood – is used to getting what they want, when they want it, with the
click of a mouse.
“Runner Runner” depicts the risks of
this reality starring Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and Gemma Arterton where Timberlake
plays Princeton grad and former Wall Street star Richie Furst, who believes
he’s been swindled by an online poker organization based in Costa Rica. He
decides to head to Central America to confront the owner, Affleck’s Ivan Block,
and is soon seduced by the promise of immense wealth. As Block’s right-hand man
he uncovers more than he bargains for, and is soon juggling loyalties and
trying to stay alive.
Affleck agrees, “Underneath this allure
of fast and easy money is something inherently fraudulent, crooked, broken and wrong.” Everything now is
about getting rich quickly, by any means necessary. The new corporate ethos is to cut the other
guy’s throat. In some circles, it’s even
considered healthy and to be prized.”
Ivan Block’s own journey down the rabbit
hole has yielded untold riches, which is all the enticement Richie needs for
what ultimately becomes a rite of passage.
“Ivan Block is the unapologetic mentor who says, ‘Get what you can get
and don’t think twice about it,’” says Affleck.
“Block wants to manipulate Richie, to get him to be part of his
team. His mission is to groom Richie so
he won’t object to some of the darker things he sees.”
Affleck notes that reading people is one
of Block’s chief strengths in distracting Richie from the tycoon’s less savory
aspects: “Block knows what buttons to press on people, and his most impressive
trick is to distract them from his true motives. To Block, people are insecure and almost
desperate to succeed. He knows people feel they’ve been kicked around and that
we’re taught to chase the dollar and to equate wealth with status, honor,
success, and manliness. So he holds up
that wealth, which blinds Richie to what’s really going on.”
“The movie hopefully will show how
complicated Ivan Block is. We like to stand apart and look at people in this
binary way and say you're bad and you’re good, and I think that makes really an
interesting drama. What I hoped was that people would understand and identify
with this guy on some levels, and maybe some people would find him and what
he's proselytizing appealing. Justin's character does early on, and then given
time he's revealed to be a guy who makes very bad choices and does things we
recognize as immoral. What I think is interesting is that hopefully, if we've
done our job right, you see at the root of those choices was a guy who wasn't
necessarily bad to begin with, but chose a road. Once he made that choice he
did what he had to do in order to be successful on that road,” Affleck explains
of his character.
Before stepping in the caped crusader’s
realm, Affleck says he immensely enjoyed the opportunity to “chew the scenery” of
“Runner Runner” and, after the enormous success he had as director of last
year’s “Argo,” relished the chance to “just be an actor again”. Which may come
as a surprise to those who have adjusted to thinking of him as a world-class director
– before the groundbreaking “Argo,” Affleck helmed the kidnapping drama “Gone
Baby Gone” and Boston heist thriller “The Town.”
Included in Affleck’s journey as one of
Hollywood’s A-list actors are unforgettable and blockbuster films such as “Good
Will Hunting,” “Chasing Amy,” “Jay and Silent Bob,” “Mallrats,” “Dogma,”
“Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Daredevil,” “Gigli,” “Hollywoodland,” “Smokin’
Aces” and “The Company Men.”
Watch the feature on Ben Affleck as Ivan Block
“Runner Runner” opens September 26 in
theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
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