Two friends, a bet and a lot of money – in The Million Dollar Bet Director Thomas Woschitz tells the story of a race that is only superficially against time.
The Million Dollar Bet – film review
Friends Jack and Hank live in Las Vegas and have a passion for gambling. They earn their money playing poker in the local casinos. Thomas Woschitz throws the audience into the action just as quickly as existences can be destroyed when gambling. The Million Dollar Bet is based on true events, the story can be read in an online blog and serves as the basis for this film. After a night of drinking, Hank comes up with the daring idea that he could run 70 miles (over 112 kilometers) in 24 hours. He is so sure of himself that he challenges Jack to a bet. Jack hesitates at first, but soon the two make a deal. The third roommate, Tony, doesn’t get in. He and Hank made a bet to see if they could avoid betting against each other. Hank doesn’t take long to ask, puts on his tracksuit and starts the first of 478 laps around the block. He has to hurry because, in addition to the significant bet of a million dollars, Hurricane Janet also threatens to hit Las Vegas and thwart his plans. A race against time begins before Hank, who is authentically portrayed by Douglas Smith.
Coming of age and masculinity
The men’s shared apartment is a bit run down and only spartanly furnished. The only thing that provides a little color are the empty green beer bottles that are standing around in the small house in a suburb of Las Vegas. Jack, Hank and Tony live in The Million Dollar Bet a life free of obligations. Her workplace is the poker table; None of them have children or a partner. Hank’s sister suspects, not wrongly, that her brother is actually running away from adulthood. During the course of the film, Hank’s mother and stepfather join them. The mother treats Hank and his roommates like children, but raises an important point: Is Jack endangering Hank’s health by entering into the bet? Jack doesn’t want to know anything about it, but becomes visibly more worried and nervous as the incident progresses. A development that actor Justin Cornwell brings believably to the screen. After Jack tells his friend that he has serious concerns about his health a few hours into the run, his friend simply says that Jack wants to back out. Good communication looks different.
Der American Dream?
The betting shared apartment’s refrigerator is chronically empty, so to eat they go to a nearby diner that’s open all day. Over the 24 hours of the run, Jack, Tony and Hank’s sister Janet return there several times. However, the operation remains the same the entire time. The waitress has to work several shifts in a row to care for her children and pay for health insurance. A clear swipe at the reality of life in the USA. The Austrian-born Thomas Woschitz portrays the land of unlimited opportunities as threatened. He reveals the country’s dark side The Million Dollar Bet consciously space. The approaching hurricane increases the threat of the situation. As they leave the diner, they encounter a homeless man several times. Jack gives him a note, whereupon the man wants to flip a coin – “double or nothing” – so either get double the amount or come away empty-handed. How the man ended up on the streets of Las Vegas remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that many who look for big money in Las Vegas end up with nothing.
Small budget – big cinema
Thomas Woschitz brings along The Million Dollar Bet 88 minutes of excitement on stage. And that with a budget that would only be enough for the buffet in other productions, as the director joked before the performance Viennale explained. A circumstance that does not affect the quality of the film’s implementation. The mixture of the ongoing countdown, the huge bet and the approaching hurricane keep you energized throughout the entire film and keep you excited until the end. The film is enriched with a good portion of social criticism, which gives the gripping experience depth. //
Text: Niki Hofer
Photos: Viennale
The film review was created as part of the Viennale 2024.
Film information:
The Million Dollar Bet
Director: Thomas Woschitz
Co-director: Gabriele Kranzelbinder
Screenplay: Thomas Woschitz and Andrea Piva
Camera: Enzo Brandner
Editing: Barbara Seidler
Music: Markus Taxacher
World sales: KGP film production
Austria, USA 2024
88 min, OmdU
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