Betta Fish

DANNY'S GAME blends both its playful and serious sides well, making for an enjoyable and engaging watch. Over the course of the runtime, we get to meet a number of charismatic bad guys, all populating the small underworld of criminals in Danny's circle. The supporting actors seem to relish bringing out the idiosyncrasies in their characters, and this makes them fun to watch as Danny moves from one to the next, letting details to the plot unfold naturally with each new stop. Danny is also, by all respects, a bad guy by traditional definition. I stayed in his corner because the movie balances enlightening backstory breadcrumbs with a charismatic performance from the lead, which let me see him in a forgivable light. I was rooting for Danny in spite of some of his words, actions and spouted philosophies. DANNY'S GAME shares DNA with the Ocean's movies, Matchstick Men, and Rounders: The characters in these films do things society deems bad, but their outlaw style is romantic and fun to experience vicariously, and the same goes for Danny and his plight. I particularly liked the visual look of this movie - the angles and color were sharp and confidently executed - and the performance from lead actor, Joshua Ungaretti, who provides an unexpected honesty to the looks he gives and the lines he delivers.