Movie Review: The Gambler
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
The Gambler is a film about an English literature professor with a dark side, a gambling addiction that has gotten him into debt with Los Angeles gangsters to the tune of $240,000. The film was directed by Rupert Wyatt (best known for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)). The film’s screenplay was written by William Monahan (The Departed (2006)), based on the James Toback screenplay for the original film in 1974.
The new film opens with Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) at the bedside of his dying grandfather Ed Bennett (George Kennedy) – not what you would call an upbeat start. After the obligatory funeral scene, Jim goes directly to an underground casino to blow off some steam, where he proceeds to lose a lot. We are now introduced to the gangster who owns the casino, Mr. Lee (Alvin Ing), who gives Jim seven days to pay his $240,000 debt. The clock starts ticking. After all of Mr. Lee’s threats are done, Jim borrows some more money from Neville Baraka (Michael Kenneth Williams), and then loses that. When the sun finally comes up and the casino shuts down, all the gamblers return to their lairs like broken vampires.
Back at the generic California University, we now find Associate Professor Jim Bennet teaching literature. Appropriately enough, the first of these classroom scenes starts out with Jim’s class discussing Shakespeare and the nature of genius. In every scene that involves literature, it all comes back to one thing for Jim, as one of his students Lamar (Anthony Kelley) astutely points out, victory or death – all or nothing. Jim expounds in great detail about why one should not even bother to attempt an endeavor in life unless you can excel at it and be one of the best of the best, otherwise why bother. While that attitude could be understandable coming from a teacher with one unsuccessful novel to his name, it is still pretty clear that this is a case of sour grapes. This all or nothing approach is also mirrored in Jim’s gambling life. Each time Jim approaches the blackjack table, he bets and then doubles his bet, over and over with no variation. Mathematically speaking, the only way Jim can ever win is if he has a very long streak of winning hands – the least likely outcome, statistically speaking. Variation is the norm in gambling, but Jim has stubbornly decided that he will win his way or not at all. The lives of Jim and his mother, Roberta Bennett (Jessica Lange), and his students eventually intersect with the gangsters. Always at a tangent however, as Jim stays a step ahead of the bad guys. He mostly does this by behaving like a bad guy himself and involves his students in an effort to get out from under his debt.
Mark Wahlberg in “The Gambler.” © 2014 – Paramount Pictures.
Before I deal with the negative aspects of the film, and there are many of them, let me discuss the positives. The film is well made with a supporting cast that is incredibly talented and a pleasure to watch. Frank (John Goodman) is a gangster and loan shark that is straight out of an Elmore Leonard novel. He is worth the price of a ticket all by himself. Then there is Neville (Michael Kenneth Williams), who is well worth watching himself.
Unfortunately, the film moves far too slowly. The pacing is sort of like torture, but I am not sure if that is wholly the director’s fault or the writer’s. The character of Jim is so unsympathetic it is hard to enjoy the film, not because I dislike Wahlberg but simply because I dislike Bennett so much. Realistically, that means that Wahlberg is in fact doing his job, right?
I won’t bother to list you all the plot holes in The Gambler, let’s just say that there are many. That combined with an unlikeable lead character make for a mighty tough film to enjoy. By the way, when the only topless actor in your film is John Goodman you might want to re-think some things.
Steven Gahm
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