The Gambler – Film Review

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson and John Goodman

Release Date: Out Now

Mark Wahlberg stars in this remake of the 1974 movie of the same name, which starred James Caan and James Woods, and was loosely based upon a short novella by Leo Tolstoy. The screenplay was written by The Departed scribe William Monahan. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio were originally attached to the project, but later left to do The Wolf of Wall Street, which seemed to be a wise decision.

Wahlberg bagged the role of Jim Bennett, an English literature professor by day and a compulsive gambler by night. With an ever increasing debt from his compulsion to take over-the-top risks, Bennett is forced to take a loan from a feared loan-shark.

After Jim’s grandfather passes away, he inherits both some of his grandfathers fortune and his “all or nothing” attitude. Taking the inheritance, Bennett heads straight to an underground casino, run by a Korean mobster who he is already in debt to for the tune of $200,000. Watching Jim’s hand play out from the sideline is “The King of Spades” (played by Michael Kenneth Williams of HBO’s ‘The Wire’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire’).

After losing all his inheritance money in the turn of a couple of cards, it is Williams’ character who plays devil’s advocate to Jim’s addiction. Intrigued by the recklessness of Jim’s habit, and a bit of a gambling man himself, he loans him more money, driving him further down the rabbit hole of debt that he has created for himself so unnecessarily.

Throughout the movie, you are almost forced to try empathize with Bennett through some of the most over-written student/teacher talks in recent memory. These scenes appear to be placed throughout the movie as a method of fleshing out the running time, often as an afterthought. Bennett shares his black or white view with his class in almost any scene they could squeeze it in. The class he teaches consist of three primary characters of focus: a young and talented basketball player, the second best tennis player in the college circuit (who has no reason to be involved) and a seemingly middle of the road girl, whom he claims to be a genius.

The star athletes are almost forcibly jammed down your throat to make the coming events more believable. However, they are seemingly placed in the film after the film-makers realized that most of the run time would take place in casinos. Brie Larson plays both Jim’s student and love interest. Working at his local casino, she is aware of his addiction and takes it upon herself to show Bennett that life consists of black, white and the grey.

Unfortunately, any scene involving Wahlberg teaching his classes are plagued with tried and tested Hollywood cliché, all of which are extremely over acted and very sappy. Wahlberg is rumoured to have gambled a good chunk of his own money to get into the mindset of one who enjoys the rush of victory, and the intensity of laying it on the line. He has also said that he sat at the back of lectures in colleges to try get down the persona of a professor and read his monologues out twice a day for four months. Unfortunately this does not bleed into the movie at all.

The ensemble cast is forgettable, minus a brilliant performance from John Goodman as head mobster and loan shark Frank. With his signature gruffness, boss attitude and always present bodyguard, he is a presence that you feel could do real damage to Jim, one that could go beyond him just losing a finger…or his life.

The movie also shamelessly matches the exact running time of the original, down to the minute, but misses out on the coolness and style that makes the original so memorable. For me, it was Goodman who brought the best performance of the film. Whether or not Goodman had some privileges with his scenes or not is unknown, but any scene he is present in, you feel drawn to him.

The movie is a scattered glimpse into the mindset of a man with a compulsion. He is a man who only feels a flicker of emotion when everything he owns is on the table. I found his decisions infuriating to watch and, much like the movie itself, was a series of very few pay offs. Being from a very privileged family could explain his recklessness with money. He is accustomed to being bailed out at any moment by his estranged mother, played by Jessica Lange, who has already been praised for her performance.

Whereas Wahlberg has garnered critical acclaim due to the fact that he lost a substantial amount of weight for the performance, I still feel it was a mediocre and forgettable one at best. Much like last year’s The Wolf of Wall Street, excess seems to be the central theme that Hollywood are taking to at the moment; watching someone live a life most could only imagine and taking risks that would cripple anyone’s financial situation and send your nerves into overdrive.

Recommendation? With Oscar season in full swing, hedge your bets now. Save your money for one of the many other brilliant dramas out at the moment.

Score: 2.5/5

Written by Nathan Starks

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