CineVegas 2009

Divinely inspired by Dante's Inferno, SAINT JOHN OF LAS VEGAS, features a gambler, a wheelchair-bound stripper, a human torch, an armed nudist colony and a pitch-perfect performance by one of our finest actors: Steve Buscemi....what a perfect way to open the 2009 CineVegas Film Festival. John (Buscemi) has finally gotten his life back on track. The ex-gambler whose only luck is bad ran away from Las Vegas, ending up in Albuquerque with a dull but stable job in insurance. He even has a budding romance with a sexy co-worker. But fate leads him back towards temptation: When John gets a promotion to fraud investigating, he must return to Las Vegas for his first case. Paired with a savvy veteran who prides himself on preventing scams, his journey leads him down a precarious path checkered with a bizarre cast of characters. Will his luck change or is fate in his own hands after all?

Hue Rhodes' feature directorial debut is a modern, picaresque journey through the literal and figurative desert and into the mind of a gambler. As John searches for answers he fluctuates intoxicatingly between reality and surreality. Rhodes' creative talent is invigorating and engaging as he crafts a tale that is at times comedic, at others poignant. Along with the extraordinary performance by Buscemi, the film is blessed with an outstanding supporting cast, including Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Romany Malco, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Tim Blake Nelson and John Cho. Expertly crafted in every way, from the rich cinematography to the astute editing, SAINT JOHN OF LAS VEGAS bursts with creativity and is laced with a deliciously dark sense of humor that is sure to bring a smile to your face as you head out of the theater and back into the casino.