Hollywood heavyweight Russell Crowe has been a show business staple for decades, but his latest flick, “Poker Face,” isn’t proving much of a fan favorite. The thriller, which hit theaters last November and marks the actor’s second turn at directing following 2014’s “The Water Diviner,” presently boasts a measly 9% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it “half-baked,” “a creative mess” and “a pair of sevens.” Yikes!
Currently available to rent on both Amazon and iTunes, “Poker Face” (which is not to be confused with the upcoming Rian Johnson-helmed Peacock series of the same name) sees the actor stepping into the well-heeled shoes of tech billionaire Jake Foley as he hosts an exclusive poker night for his childhood best friends as a sort of final hurrah following a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Initially set in Miami, Fla., once Crowe came on board, the backdrop was shifted to his native Australia, where he proved thoroughly adept at selecting gorgeous scenery to outfit his onscreen world. The locations are so aspirational, in fact, the movie almost feels like a throwback to the old Robin Leach series “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” with Foley’s prime real estate portfolio playing front and center. The character’s two lavish Down Under properties include a massive two-story penthouse, which in real life can be found on the top floor of the Crown Residences of One Barangaroo. For those with pockets as deep as Jake’s, the striking six-bedroom, six-bath, 8,600-square-foot space, pristinely sited overlooking the famed Sydney Harbor, is currently available for a staggering AUD 100 million (USD 70 million).
The real show-stealer, though, is Foley’s weekend house, an epic modern abode perched upon a rocky oceanside bluff on a 94-acre working cattle farm at 219 Princes Hwy in Kiama, about two hours south of Sydney. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
A singular estate through and through, the pad, known as both Pebble Cove Farm and Horizon House, even had the seasoned Crowe impressed! While filming on the premises, the actor tweeted a photo of the grounds with the caption, ”Shooting in Kiama. What a beautiful place.”
