Director Rupert Wyatt
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange & John Goodman
Rated MA
Score 5/6

Lit professor and gambler Jim Bennett’s debt causes him to borrow money from his mother and a loan shark. Further complicating his situation is his relationship with one of his students. Will Bennett risk his life for a second chance?

First things first, sorry for not sitting down and writing this review last night after I got back from the local cinema, but as we all know there are times when I easily get distracted. For those of you who are wondering The Gambler is a remake of a 1974 movie of the same starring James Caan and has nothing to do with the Kenny Rogers song or the character Brady Hawkes from the 80’s film series. I’m not overly familiar with director Rupert Wyatt’s work though I have watched one of his movies the 2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
I kinda loved what Wyatt did with The Gambler by making the act of gambling look self-destructive behaviour rather then something that has been glamourized by other movies. I also loved how most of the soundtrack seemed to be very organic and not overly intrusive with songs being played that the characters are actually listening to. I suppose the standout performances in the movie where Mark Wahlberg and John Goodman who was menacingly brilliant, I loved his ‘Fuck you’ monologue. Wahlberg’s gave an interesting performance, I definitely don’t agree with his character Bennett’s life philosophy but I am sure I have wanted a new start to life more than once, though I doubt I would go to the extremes that he did to achieve it. I also heard a story that in preparation for his role Wahlberg in a Wynn Macau in China won $45,000 playing blackjack and then lost the same $45,000 on one turn of the roulette wheel putting it all on black.