Stuey (aka High Roller - The Stu Ungar Story)
Edjon
Stuey (2003) tells the story of one of the most legendary poker players of all time: Stuey Ungar. In this 2003 film Michael Imperioli, known from the Sopranos, plays the role of the adult Stu Ungar and takes the viewers into a world of poker, gambling, drugs and women.
The story starts with Ungar's ultimate comeback by winning his 3rd WSOP Main Event title. Ungar this tells his life story on the bed of a dark hotel room to a shadowy stranger. His life story consists of scenes beginning in his childhood to his final success. We see Stuey growing up in Manhattan, where he quickly shows a talent for cards. At a young age, he plays for large sums of money and he is supported by people from the criminal world, who earn money from him, but also protect him. Besides Stu's extraordinary talent for cards, we see that Stu Ungar had a penchant for sports betting and he frequently loses all of his earned money. Because of a large debt Ungar flees to Las Vegas where he became the legend he is today. In Vegas Ungar won several WSOP events, but he got addicted to drugs, which took the best of him and made an early end to his life.
It is clear that the writers of this film used the biography of Stu Ungar, One of a Kind, for the script of this movie. Distinctive and important moments in Stu's life are put in scenes and give an overview of an exciting life full of highs and lows.
A disadvantage of each book adaptation is that many subjects and events don't reach the movie and unfortunately this is also the case for Stuey. His difficult relationship with his mother and sister are not incorporated and just one scene refers to his abundant drug use. Some things are even completely left out and other then again are exaggerated. For instance, Stu's stepson Richie, who committed suicide, is completely left out and at the end of the movie the writers suggest that Ungar has conquered his drug addiction, whereas in reality it became worse and worse (according to his biography). His drug free period at the end of the movie seems a figment of the script writers and not based on truth.
All in all, the film certainly is worthwhile to watch, because you get a glimpse into the life of one of the most legendary poker players of all time. The authors failed however to give the viewers the feeling who Stuey Ungar really was and he remains mostly a flat character. The movie therefore reaches only a superficial level and is not the masterwork, which Stu Ungar deserved.
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