Review | Casino Jack

Opens Friday 1/7

Us Rating: **

Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey gobbles scenery in this cautionary tale about the fall of Jack Abramoff. The Washington, D.C., lobbyist with close GOP ties made headlines in 2005, when his attempt to purchase a Florida floating casino chain led to a fraud indictment. Spacey's manic and abrasive characterization comes off as unsympathetic in a movie that swings between broad comedy and glib political satire. Still, Kelly Preston touches as Abramoff's long-suffering wife, and Jon Lovitz finds the humor in playing a shabby coconspirator.

-- THELMA ADAMS