Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Myriam Nys Once I had the pleasure of speaking to a gentleman who taught young people circus skills, especially with regard to the trapeze. He mentioned that there was a certain stage in the training when all pupils needed extra support and supervision. Asked why, he replied : "That's when people know enough to get themselves in really deep, dangerous trouble, but not enough to extract themselves from that trouble". Now this remark applies also, in a more general sense, to a phase in human life, let us say late adolescence and early adulthood."The odds" is a mystery (and a good, nicely unpredictable mystery at that) but it is also a psychological portrait of a group of adolescents helplessly adrift in a sea of trouble, most of it of their own making. It also illustrates, masterfully, how people in difficulty have a sad habit of spreading their problems around ; it is a phenomenon often seen in addiction and crime, where drug users become drug sellers and prostitutes become madams. "Misery loves company" - indeed."The odds" boasts excellent performances, most notably from protagonist Tyler Johnston, who is wonderfully convincing as a messed-up ball of insecurity, resolve, dishonesty and remorse.This, for clarity's sake, is not a happy and jolly viewing experience. But it is a very rewarding one.

vchimpanzee Desson and Barry are best friends who intend to move in together after they graduate from high school. Knowing he will be alone after Desson's mother has apparently died, Desson's loser of a father is planning to sell their house.Desson and Barry attend a high school wrestling match. Barry is constantly texting Paul on his cell phone. When Barry believes Sam took a dive, Barry confronts Sam in the locker room and they get in a fight. Desson convinces the coach that Barry and Sam were fighting over a girl, but the coach sentences both Desson and Barry to detention. Barry doesn't show, but Desson meets the beautiful Colleen, who he invites to Paul's basement in a nice upper-middle-class house. Young people come there and gamble and drink alcohol secretly. Paul's mother doesn't really seem to approve but allows the activity as long as she doesn't get in trouble; Paul's father has left. Barry and Desson both owe Paul lots of money, and Paul is getting very demanding. One day Desson goes over to Barry's house, and Desson and Barry's sister Heather make a terrible discovery. Barry has apparently hanged himself. Desson believes his friend was murdered and is determined to find out why. A phone message suggests a local Chinese restaurant may have a connection to Desson's death. Benson, one of the high school students who gambles at Paul's place, reluctantly admits to going to this restaurant but says it must be kept secret. It is also possible that Paul is in debt to someone there. And we may find out what Sam was doing.It's a somewhat interesting mystery. Nothing outstanding or above the level of a TV-movie, but still enjoyable. There is occasional humor, much of it provided by Hrothgar Mathews as the sarcastic Coach Fortier.And among actors with more lines than the coach had, to me, Julia Maxwell stands out from the rest of the cast. She's not only great looking but has a nice if edgy personality and brains.Tyler Johnston is pretty good too in the lead role. Other worthwhile performances come from Jaren Brandt Bartlett as the young man who lets people gamble, Robert Moloney as Desson's father (especially when stoned), and Scott Patey and the somewhat nerdy Benson who likes to take risks.The sound went out a lot during this movie. Usually, this was accompanied by a character's mouth being obscured. So if you see this unedited, you have been warned. There is also some violence but not too much.It's a worthwhile effort, just nothing you haven't seen before.

carolbielbs The Odds has an interesting take on high school students living a double life in a secret, dark gambling world. It starts off with the main characters texting bets to underage bookie Paul (Jaren Brandt Bartlett) on their high school wrestling championships.The depths of character development really added to the plot of the death of Barry over the greed that goes hand in hand into the gambling world (such as the Death of the main characters mother, the evidence that slowly creeps up over Barry, and the main characters father's struggle with his career and grieving over his wife). Davidson possesses a keen eye for filmmaking, instinctively knowing how to build tension without a great deal of unnecessary stylization and filler material. This movie touches on a lot of demographics because of these deeper character profiles and the ending of the long spider-web like connections that developed because of this secret gambling society that made perfect sense at the end of the movie. I loved that this was a Canadian movie also!

Nicole Hamilton Tyler Johnston's character deals with the suicide of his friend Barry (Calum Worthy) in the first act, but refuses to believe it; and instead comes to the conclusion he must have won big from the wrong people. Luckily, the chemistry with these characters carries you through the rest of the movie superbly, as it casts notable actors with up-and-coming talent. The action sequences and dialogue are enough to keep you intrigued throughout the movie. The great thing about it is once you get attached to a character, or think you have them figured out; you turn out to be completely wrong, which is something I love in a film. Definitely worth taking a chance on.