Gemma Arterton stars alongside Ben
Affleck and Justin Timberlake in “Runner Runner” wherein her role as Rebecca Shafran
is entangled in the cutthroat world of online gambling.
“Runner
Runner” explores the multi-billion dollar industry of online gambling where all
players are supposed to have their share, in any which way possible. Affleck takes on the role of gambling kingpin
Ivan Block while Timberlake is Richie Furst, a brilliant Princeton grad student
on his way to finishing his masters.
Furst, in order to further finance his studies takes commissions from
online gambling operators and risks playing online too for additional money. When Richie betted all of his savings and lost
it to Block’s operations, he soon finds out that he’s been tricked. Determined to recollect his tuition money, he
heads to Costa Rica to confront Block about his malicious online
practices. Soon thereafter, Richie falls
for Block’s associate –sophisticated COO Rebecca Shafran (Gemma Arterton) – and
he embraces a world that sees all of his fantasies come to life. But Richie soon learns that Block is wanted
for racketeering, extortion and bribery, and that FBI Special Agent Shavers
(Anthony Mackie) is obsessed with bringing Block and his associates to justice.
“The
real allure of Block’s world transcends money,” says director Brad Furman. It’s about something far more interesting –
and dangerous. “The real equation in
this movie is money times power equals sex.
You ask men why they want money and power, and the answer usually is:
women. That’s the bottom line.”
The
distaff representative of this world is Rebecca Shafren, Block’s sharp and
powerful COO, whose loyalty to Block is tested when she meets Richie. English-born Gemma Arterton portrays
Rebecca. A gambling novice, Arterton
nevertheless embraced the role. “I really liked the script, which I thought was
clever and witty, and it portrayed a world I wanted to investigate.”
“I
really like Rebecca,” Arterton continues. “She's almost villainous in certain
ways, and she’s never predictable. “Runner
Runner” is about power, wealth and greed. I was intrigued by Rebecca’s desire
to live in this world, which is indicative of how many women believe they must
act – in an almost masculine way – in order to succeed.”
“When
Richie arrives in Costa Rica and meets Rebecca, she is very much the business
person in control; she’s very tough, almost like a femme fatale,” Arterton
continues. “But she also enjoys having fun. She sees this sexy, young guy and
thinks, ‘I'll play around with him for a bit.’
She finds out that he's actually quite clever and smart, and he's
different from other people she knows and works with. Rebecca has a real
dilemma: she covets the wealth that comes with her position, and yet also
rediscovers her moral bearings through her relationship with Richie. And she begins to change her outlook on Block
and her position in his empire.”
A
(2011) BAFTA nominee as Best Newcomer, Gemma Arterton is mostly known for the
roles she played in the previously released blockbusters “Hansel & Gretel:
Witch Hunters,” “Clash of the
Titans,” “Prince of Persia: The Sands of
Time,” “Quantum of Solace” and “RocknRolla.”
She has most recently been seen in the highly anticipated “Byzantium”
directed by Neil Jordan and written by Moira Buffini, in which she stars as
vampire Clara opposite Saoirse Ronan.
Her other film works include “Song for Marion,” “Tamara Drewe,” “The
Disappearance of Alice Creed,” “The Boat that Rocked,” “Three and Out,” “St.
Trinians” and in the animated “A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventure” as her debut
voice role.
Check out the trailer feature of “Runner Runner” @20thCenturyFoxPh/YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0-m65tn9Bc&list=PLcZs6n5iZPx_qMltrZ9_-ygryMe9EoX-5.
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Twitter handle @20thcenturyfoxph.
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