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Cast: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rebecca Hall, Joshua Jackson, Bruce Willis, Vince Vaughn
Beth Raymer (Rebecca Hall) leaves her dancing job at a Florida strip club to become a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. In walks Dink (Bruce Willis), a professional sports bettor who sees through her bubbly exterior and offers her a job placing wagers all over town to gain an advantage over the casinos. Her surprisingly impeccable mind for numbers soon cements her status as Dink's good-luck charm, until his gorgeous-but-frigid wife, Tulip (Catherine Zeta-Jones), starts to get jealous. Faced with no other choice but to fire Beth, Dink's luck runs out when she heads to New York to work for a smarmy bookie, a turn of events that lands her squarely on the wrong side of the law. Based on a true story, LAY THE FAVORITE is a heartfelt comedy of finding friendship in the least likely places.
Beth is a small town girl who is a self-employed stripper but when one of her clients pulls out a gun and waves it around she finally decides that stripping isn't for her. She wants to be a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas so she packs up and heads out. Shortly after arriving in Vegas she meets Dink who runs a legit sports betting service. Dink hires Beth and before long she begins to not only impress herself but Dink as well with her ability with numbers. To go on about the story would only ruin the fun that awaits so I am going to stop here.
I wouldn't call "Lay The Favorite" a great film but it is a fun film that entertains from beginning to end. The film is an R rated comedy that has a lot of funny dialogue and situations but what it really benefits from is it's A-list cast. Rebecca Hall is terrific as Beth, she is sexy and very funny. Bruce Willis gives a good performance as Dink, I say good because in roles like this one Bruce seems to play himself a lot but he is very good none the less. The film also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones who is one of the film's highlights even though she doesn't have the same amount of screen time as the others do. She is hilarious as Dink's over jealous and demanding wife. Joshua Jackson also co-stars in the film as well as Vince Vaughn.
Like I already stated, the film isn't a life changer or something you are going to remember for a long time after but it is a fun story that takes advantage of it's stellar cast. It's a lively comedy with plenty of laughs along the way. Director, Stephen Frears keeps the film moving at a fast pace and doesn't bog the story down with any unnecessary drama. "Lay The Favorite" is an adult comedy that is worth checking out. I enjoyed the film more than I thought I would and I felt it got better as it moved along so if you are looking for a comedy to watch then check this out, I think you will be pleased.
Available on DVD and Blu-ray, both come with Special Features that include:
Deleted Scenes
You can order the DVD HERE and the Blu-ray HERE.
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
*** 1/2 Out Of *****