The no-name filmmakers on this Sin City release, and a less than stellar cast, lowered my expectations, but "Pokerface" proves to be another of those "they don't make 'em like this no more" fine features from the turn of this century.
Mike Horner stars as a hapless poker player, seen getting beat up by a debt collector early in the film after he loses his treasured watch (his daddy's) in a big game with nominal bad guy Claudio.
The mysterious director "Jon-Jon Dice" handles the several poker games extremely well and overall succeeds in maintaining interest in the NonSex action of the movie, shot on video. Acting is very fine, especially by principal characters Horner and Claudio.
Jewel De'Nyle gets top billing and handles her sex scene well, but plays an extraneous character (not even identified) who is not integrated into the film proper. The supporting cast is impressive if unfamiliar faces. Euro talent Bruno SX and Rumika Power pop up in a scene where Horner turns cat burglar, stealing a pearl necklace from Bruno's safe while he has anal sex with the uber-stimulating Rumika.
Today's various "award-winning" porn directors could do well to see how important it is to establish a story and characters and then develop them as was done seemingly effortlessly in this program, rather than deliver their usual all-sex or nominal set-up & then sex current releases.
