P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face by Lady Gaga this wasn't, but it was still a fun ride. Sure Russell Crowe's Aussie film had some issues, but not nearly as bad as the critics say. The main issue was the overstuffed and indecisive narrative with too many themes and subplots attempting to come together. Surprisingly, most do come together, but in the well-paced short 94 min runtime, there were many scenes that weren't needed, and others could've used more time to expand on their subplot. For example, the entire shaman camp visit could've been omitted, and more dynamics between RZA and Crowe's character's been expanded. I'm not a fan of long runtimes, but for this film, I actually wanted more allocated to better character development. Plus all the fine-art and art-gallery subplots didn't really do much for the rest of the film's themes. Nevertheless, all casting and performances were spot-on, the cinematography, landscapes and sets all outstanding, and the score was on point.
Review of Poker Face
