The Gambler **** (2014, Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman) – Movie Review

Mark Wahlberg is excellent in a serious role as English lit professor and compulsive high-stakes gambler Jim Bennett. His debt forces him to borrow money from his unpleasant wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) and, when he loses that on the tables too, from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams), offering his own life as collateral. A man with a brain as well as a sickness, Jim tries to be clever, pitting his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring.

As he plays both sides, sinister loan shark Frank (John Goodman) and a brilliant, attractive student seem to offer some hope of salvation, or at least perhaps of paying off his debts.

Director Rupert Wyatt’s remake of director Karel Reisz’s 1974 movie with  James Caan, Paul Sorvino and Lauren Hutton is gripping, atmospheric and extremely well made. It can be considered a success even if it’s not entirely satisfying, since it never gets to grips with explaining the main character’s sickness. This makes it ultimately frustrating and out of reach, so you don’t feel you’re in contact with the whole story, as if there are bits missing or the story hasn’t finished when the movie ends.

Nevertheless, it’s a good bet as worth taking a risk on, especially for the acting, and most especially for Wahlberg’s tour-de-force. Lange and Goodman are outstanding too. Wyatt directs very intensely to keep you involved.

Writer William Monahan turns in a very strong screenplay, complex and complete, based on the 1974 film scripted by James Toback.

The 1997 Fyodor Dostoyevsky adaptation The Gambler is the last film of double Oscar-winner Luise Rainer, who died on Tuesday 30 December 2014 of pneumonia at the grand old age of 104.

It was announced on 19 December 2014 that Mark Wahlberg will return for Transformers 5 and he is committed to ‘a couple more’.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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