For every scene that goes nowhere -- and there are more than a few -- there's some comedy gold lurking around the corner.

Just showing us what ex-sitcom stars and Bavarian directors do in their spare time isn't quite enough to justify The Grand, which does for poker what Best in Show did for dogs while completely avoiding any jokes about poker-playing canines.

There may be too many cooks here, too many TV stars trying to make an impression in a relatively high-profile independent film, but they connect just often enough to leave you smiling.

THE GRAND is a Royal Flush!!!