Discription
The Gambler (2014)
Summary
The Gambler is a crime drama that serves as a remake of the 1974 film of the same name. It follows Jim Bennett, a highly intelligent and cynical English professor with a crippling gambling addiction. His self-destructive habit leads him to borrow large sums of money from ruthless gangsters and loan sharks, including the illicit casino owner Mr. Lee and the gangster Neville. As the debts spiral out of control and his life—and the lives of those he cares about—is threatened, Jim must orchestrate a desperate, high-stakes final play to clear his obligations.
Plot
The film centers on Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a successful but nihilistic literature professor from a wealthy family who views life as a trap and seeks the ultimate risk to feel alive. His addiction to high-stakes gambling leads him to accrue a massive debt of over $200,000 to Mr. Lee (Alvin Ing), a Korean casino owner, and an additional $50,000 (plus high interest) to the menacing gangster Neville (Michael Kenneth Williams).
Given only seven days to repay his debts, Jim approaches his estranged, wealthy mother, Roberta (Jessica Lange), for the money, which she reluctantly gives him. In a shocking act of self-sabotage, Jim immediately loses the entire sum at a legal casino, further escalating the danger.
As Jim sinks deeper, his life intersects with his brilliant student, Amy Phillips (Brie Larson), who he also begins a relationship with, and a star college basketball player, Lamar Allen (Anthony Kelley), who needs to pass Jim's class to keep playing.
Neville and Mr. Lee both apply pressure, threatening Jim's mother and Amy. Jim also seeks out the ultra-wealthy and philosophical loan shark Frank (John Goodman), who gives Jim a severe lecture on the true meaning of freedom and power—which he states is self-control and refusing to risk what you cannot afford to lose. Frank, intrigued by Jim, gives him a smaller loan with the warning that any failure to repay will result in extreme violence against Jim and his family.
Under increasing duress, Jim is ordered by Neville to pressure Lamar into shaving points in his next game. However, Jim devises a bolder, final plan. He uses the money from Frank to pay off Mr. Lee, and then borrows a further massive amount from Lee to make one final, complex series of high-risk bets: on the outcome of Lamar's basketball game and a game of roulette.
In the climax, Jim's bets, which are based on a combination of calculated risk and sheer luck, pay off big. He wins enough money to fully repay Mr. Lee and Neville, plus the interest owed to Frank. Having walked out of the situation alive and cleared of debt, Jim has symbolically overcome his self-destructive impulses and achieved the "ultimate victory" by choosing to live. The film ends with Jim, now seemingly free, running into the future with Amy.
Cast
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Mark Wahlberg as Jim Bennett
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John Goodman as Frank
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Brie Larson as Amy Phillips
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Michael Kenneth Williams as Neville Baraka
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Jessica Lange as Roberta
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Alvin Ing as Mr. Lee
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George Kennedy as Ed (Jim's Grandfather)
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Anthony Kelley as Lamar Allen
Crew
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Director: Rupert Wyatt
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Screenplay by: William Monahan
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Based on the screenplay by: James Toback (for the 1974 film)
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Producers: Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Mark Wahlberg, David Winkler, Stephen Levinson
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Music by: Jon Brion, Theo Green
Release Date
December 25, 2014 (United States - Wide Release)
The film premiered at the AFI Fest on November 10, 2014.
