The Gambler Review – One of the Best Wahlberg Films
If you are a fan of Mark Wahlberg films, you will definitely like this one because you will see him in not that typical a role for him. The Gambler review that we have prepared will show you everything you need to know about the movie, its cast and of course, its storyline.
The Gambler Cast – Who You Should Expect to See
Before we jump into the storyline and get to the real The Gambler movie review we will first show you The Gambler cast, so you know in advance which other famous actors take part of the play. As you can see in the table below, the leading roles are played by some well-known stars like John Goodman and Jessica Lange.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Mark Wahlberg | Jim Bennet |
| Brie Larson | Amy Phillips |
| Michael Kenneth Williams | Neville Baraka |
| John Goodman | Frank |
| Jessica Lange | Roberta |
The Gambler film shows how real and how dangerous gambling addiction could be and what are the eventual consequences when you cannot control yourself. This is one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies, you will find out why in the next several paragraphs. This is not the usual character of his, and we can bet that you will be surprised how great the role fits him.
The Gambler Movie Review
You should know that the movie is a recreation of the old version of the film from 1974 which was written by James Toback. The movie shows how the LA literature professor Jim Bennet decides to ruin his whole life while playing blackjack in illegal underground gambling halls.
| Movie | The Gambler |
| Release Date | The 25th of December 2014 |
| IMDB | 6/10 |
| Director | Rupert Wyatt |
| Country | USA |
| Duration | 111 minutes |
Bear in mind that The Gambler is a fiction, but it shows an authentic scenario that could happen to any person who suffers a compulsive gambling disorder. Don’t forget that this is a movie and the happy end is obvious, but in real life, a happy ending is rarely occurring for people in the same position. This is one of the best blackjack movies and if you are into the game, we suggest you check the rest of them.
Prologue – How the Story Starts
The movie starts with a scene in a hospital where Jim’s father faces his last moments on earth, and they have a short conversation about the past and the future. His father asks him “what you are worth when I leave you nothing” and maybe that was the breaking point of Jim’s mind.
In the next scene, you will see his father’s funeral, then suddenly the scene changes. You will see how Jim is driving fast, his BMW M1 on the highway headed to one of the most significant underground gambling establishment in Los Angeles, and this is where the actual story begins. Contrary to modern-day gambling where you may start your venture with some of the roulette bonuses reviewed here.
The Plot – To Be or Not to Be
The next moment you see how Jim exchanges $10,000 into playing chips and enters a large hall full of different gaming tables. He sat on an empty blackjack table and went all in from his first hand. Fortuned for him he won several times in a row until he made a bet of $80,000, but this time the luck was not on his side, and he lost. This is where his true nightmare begins.
At the end of the night, Jim ended up with a debt of $200,000 to Mr Lee, the owner of the Korean illegal gambling establishment, who also gave him seven days to repay it. That was not all, Jim took another $50,000 from the loaner Neville Baraka that gave him the money to fix the mess he made, but obviously, he lost that too.
His next step was to visit his mother Roberta and ask her for $260,000 cash, but because this was not the first time she saves his ass, she refused. Then Jim went to another huge loan shark called Frank and asked him to lend him $260,000, he agreed but under one condition – Jim must say out loud “I am not a man”. As you can probably guess, this was not possible for a narcissistic character like Jim.
Concerned about his son Roberta collects all of the required money and gives it to Jim. He showed no respect, kindness or gratitude towards the kind act of his mother, which was sad. Probably now you are thinking that everything is going well and finally Jim will fix the mess he made, but no, exactly the opposite. He went into a casino and wasted the whole amount of $260,000 in no time. On the next day, he got kidnapped by the Baraka’s people so he can speak with him privately.
Nevile kindly explains that he knows about the rest of his debts, but he really doesn’t care, and he wants his money back. It was evident that Jim cannot repay him. Therefore Neville threatened him that he would hurt one of his students, Amy with which they fell in love. There was an ultimatum, Jim must persuade one of his students Lamar, who is a rising basketball player to lose his next game with less than 7 points.
Epilogue – How the Story Ends
Jim was now into a gridlock where no matter what he does, the outcome is deadly for him and his loved ones. Yes, but as a heavy gambler, he decided to set in motion an impossible plan where he takes another $150,000 from Mr Lee to bribe Lamar to win the next game still, but with not more than 7 points.
Also, the plan was to take another $260,000 loan from Frank, so he can let one of his other students to go to the Las Vegas strip and place the whole amount on the same game. Surprisingly the plan worked in his favour, and he successfully repaid his debt to Neville Baraka, but what about Mr Lee and Frank?
Well, even after the big win from Lamar’s game, Jim was still not able to pay his debts to both of them, so they agreed to meet him at a third neutral underground gambling hall. He went directly to the first casino roulette table and placed all of the money on black. This is what many players also do at the best online roulette UK sites. That was the moment where his fate was at stake, to be killed tonight or to go clean. Fortuned for him, he hit the black, and in this way, he covered both of his debts and saved his life.
FAQ
It is normal to have additional questions after the detailed revision of the movie in this The Gambler review. To make your life easier, we gathered the most frequently asked questions that may pop out in your mind related to the movie and its plot. Take a look at them and if you want to find the extended version of the answer, hit the jump button.
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