The Gambler (2014)

Literature 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?

Director:

Rupert Wyatt

Writers:

William Monahan (screenplay), James Toback

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Wahlberg	...	Jim Bennett
George Kennedy	...	Ed
Griffin Cleveland	...	Young Jim
Jessica Lange	...	Roberta
Omar Leyva	...	Valet
Steve Park	...	Number 2 (as Stephen Park)
Brie Larson	...	Amy Phillips
Chil Kong	...	Blackjack Dealer #1
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Neville Baraka
Da'Vone McDonald	...	Neville's Muscle
Amin Joseph	...	Neville's Bookkeeper
Cjon Saulsberry	...	Neville's Posse
Teebone Mitchell	...	Neville's Posse
Jasmond Carroll	...	Neville's Posse
Ria Wilkinson	...	Neville's Posse

Storyline

Jim Bennett is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank, a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett's future. As his relationship with a student deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance.

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Plot Keywords:

gambler | gambling | gambling debt | gambling addiction | younger version of character | 

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Taglines:

The Only way out is All in.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout, and for some sexuality/nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two of the songs featured in the film, "Another Wave From You" and "Outro" are performed by the same artist, M83.

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Goofs

When Jim throws the TV on the floor, from the tub, the TV lands upside down, a couple of feet from the stool he's using as a TV stand. Subsequent shots of the TV show it face up, and right next to the stool.

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Quotes

Neville Baraka: What about your family?
Jim Bennett: I got all I could get.
Neville Baraka: Can I get the money from them? If I send you to Mexico, you know, 'Oh my God! I don't know what happened to him!' Get my friend Valario to mail 'em your dick.
Jim Bennett: My family don't make the money because they pay up easily.
Neville Baraka: Apparently that's genetic.

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Crazy Credits

During the opening titles, as the classic Paramount logo appears onscreen, we hear the sound of a roulette as the stars are aligning over the Paramount mountain.

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Connections

References The Wire (2002)

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Soundtracks

Quiero Que Te Sientas
Written by George Alayon and Johnny Elkins
Courtesy of Crucial Music Corporation

User Reviews

Not as bad as some want to make us believe.

I read some reviews here I can see that we have mixed feelings about The Gambler. Some hate it, some love it. I thought it was an okay movie to watch once. I didn't think it was that boring like some want to make us believe. Mark Wahlberg plays a gambler that isn't very passionate about his life anymore. He just searches for somebody to live for, to give him some passion in his boring life. Due to his lack of passion for anything he creates big debts and he doesn't really care about it. Maybe the debt collectors should have been a bit more violent to make the movie more satisfying to some but to me it was okay. Michael Kenneth Williams gave us a good performance as well. John Goodman with a smaller role was also good in his typical way. I found the soundtrack of the movie really good. It just fitted really well with the story and ambiance. Unlike others I wasn't bored at all with this movie. I certainly saw worse movies then this one.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los Altos

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,129,999, 28 December 2014

Gross USA:

$33,680,992

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$39,280,992

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Winkler Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1