The Gambler - Review

The Gambler.

The Gambler is a film centered around Jim Bennett played by Mark Wahlberg who is an English professor who leads a hidden life in the high stakes gambling world. Without saying too much, Bennett gets in too deep and owes way too much money to too many people and has to find his way out of this alive.

One of the problems with this movie is that the supporting cast is stellar yet they get very little screen time. John Goodman and Michael Kenneth Williams absolutely stole the show; Goodman is beyond perfect for this role and Williams is just menacing as hell but somehow also gives a side of his character that is likable which is impressive as he threatens to kill Bennett multiple times. These are the two main "villains" of the movie and for how well the actors portrayed them, I wish we got to see them some more. Jessica Lange of American Horror Story fame plays Bennett's estranged mother and she's great in the role but like Goodman and Williams she's in maybe 3 or 4 scenes and you almost get the feeling that her talent might've been a little wasted. Brie Larson plays a student of Bennett and while she gives a good performance and it's good to see her getting more roles, her character really could've been played by almost anyone.

Another problem with the movie is that like Nightcrawler, it's dark, mildly disturbing and really makes you question your morals and the morals of the protagonist. Bennett isn't the most likable guy and does some incredibly unlikable things and at times makes it hard to really be on his side with everything going on.

All of that being said, I liked this movie quite a bit. As I said earlier, the supporting cast is stellar and Mark Wahlberg gives a great performance. I keep referring to Nightcrawler from earlier this year but the movies are pretty similar in a few ways; like Jake Gyllenhaal disappeared in his role in Nightcrawler, Wahlberg disappears in the role of Jim Bennett, you forget that you're watching Marky Mark and I'm telling you, he killed this role. The story might as well be a PSA for anti-gambling as it shows how dangerous, addictive and how quickly one persons addiction can bring in multiple people and get them in trouble as well.

Overall, the movie is supremely acted, well directed by Rupert Wyatt, director of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and with an intriguing story The Gambler will have your eyes glued to the screen. Some of its flaws definitely take the movie down a few pegs but the acting is what really saves this movie from letting its flaws ruin it. Mark Wahlberg may walk away with an Oscar nod for Best Actor but it's not an Oscar winning role in my eyes, that being said, it is one of his finer performances and them movie is well worth the price of admission.

Rating: 3.5/5