by MATTHEW HAYS

Getting labelled a character actor can, on occasion, be a cruel thing. We know the really good ones, from Ned Beatty to Chris Penn to Wes Studi, the reliable supporting players who so often get overlooked for their work.

Philip Seymour Hoffman has done some superb work over the past decade, turning in commanding supporting-player performances in Boogie Nights, The Talented Mr. Ripley and 25th Hour (among others). Some have incorrectly suggested that Hoffman is best suited to these roles and couldn’t deliver on lead billing.

Idiots! Now filmmaker Richard Kwietniowski (Love and Death on Long Island) has helped Hoffman defy his naysayers. In Owning Mahowny, the based-on-a-true-story movie about a seriously addicted gambler, Hoffman showcases his talents as an outstanding actor, here in a central role. The story itself is a good one, but could easily have descended into tedium or movie-of-the-week mediocrity. The tale is Canadian: in the early ’80s, a Toronto bank manager was caught embezzling millions of dollars to feed his own addictive gambling habit (a bank manager and a gambler - a bit of a bad combo, for sure). That, simply put, is what this film’s about.

Which makes it sound like it could simply be dreary. But it’s not - Hoffman’s acting is so good, so astute, we’re drawn into his self-destructive plight, feeling his mental anguish at every loss. On hand is the also-brilliant John Hurt, playing a sleazebag casino ringmaster, who’s thrilled to have Hoffman show up at his joint and blow a helluva lot of coin, regardless of where it comes from.

Though parts of Owning Mahowny may feel repetitive (Hoffman goes back to loan sharks, then gambles, then embezzles, then back to beginning again), such is the life of an addict, and the film captures, in sheer repetition, the downward spiral gamblers can find themselves in.

Mahowny comes but weeks after the release of Neil Jordan’s gambling opus, The Good Thief. The films are both extremely well acted and sad; Nick Nolte and Hoffman are like addict-portrayal bookends - neither film is to be missed.

Owning Mahowny opens Friday, June 27

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