defended by Edward Greenspan. He received a sentence of six years imprisonment, as sought by the Crown. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce took court action to recover funds from casinos in Atlantic City that enabled Malony's gambling addiction. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum. Reception Critical response On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 79% based on reviews from 96 critics, with an average rating of 6.99/10. On Metacritic the film has a score of 70% based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Roger Ebert named Owning Mahowny one of the top ten films of 2003, and assessed Hoffman's performance as "a masterpiece of discipline and precision", calling him a "fearless poet of implosion, [who] plays the role with a fierce integrity, never sending out signals for our sympathy because he knows that Mahowny is oblivious to our presence." However, some critics believed that in his self-effacing performance, Hoffman refused to conform to expectations of a typical movie character and that the movie suffered as a result. Stephanie Zacharek considered him to be a "character who squirms right out of our grasp", and despite being the movie's anchor, he's "such a vaporous one, he leaves us feeling adrift". Asked whether Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal matched with the real Brian Molony, journalist Gary Ross replied, "Remarkably so. They have the same stocky build, bushy moustache, glasses, slightly unkempt look, and earnestness. And Philip somehow managed to assimilate the psychic essence of Molony — a yawning emptiness that nothing except gambling was able to fill." Owning Mahowny earned $1 million, significantly less than its $10 million budget. Awards Owning Mahowny received nominations for Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Screenplay (Adapted) and Best Achievement in Music — Original Score (Richard Grassby-Lewis, Jon Hassell) at the 24th Genie Awards. References External links Official website Reel Toronto: Owning Mahowny; filming locations detailed in The Torontoist, December 8, 2009 2003 films 2000s crime films British drama films Canadian drama films 2000s business films English-language Canadian films Films based on biographies Films directed by Richard Kwietniowski 2003 independent films Films set in Atlantic City, New Jersey Films set in Toronto Films shot in Toronto Films shot in Atlantic City, New Jersey Films about gambling Sony Pictures Classics films Trading films 2000s English-language films 2000s Canadian films 2000s British films