Owning Mahowny

Polite, mild-mannered Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is an assistant bank manager with a head for numbers, a knack for making decisions, and a devastating appetite for gambling. The most remarkable thing about this phenomenal story of $10.2 million of siphoned bank funds, staggering levels of embezzlement, and millions upon millions of dollars funnelled through the gambling networks, is that its central character is unphenomenal. He doesn't gamble for material wealth. He isn't interested in the glamorous perks casinos offer big spenders. He lives for the thrill of the bet. By day, Mahowny works obsessively in the bank; by night, he gambles obsessively on sports, ponies and at the gaming tables, but he is no Jekyll and Hyde. His personality remains constant throughout. When this reluctant high-roller is finally arrested, he asks the police to call the bank. He's worried about being late for work.