Wild Card (2015)

When a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal skills and a gambling problem gets in trouble with the mob, he has one last play...and it's all or nothing.

Director:

Simon West

Writers:

William Goldman (based on the novel "Heat" by), William Goldman (screenplay by)

Stars:

Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Dominik Garcia

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Statham	...	Nick Wild
Michael Angarano	...	Cyrus Kinnick
Dominik Garcia	...	Holly (as Dominik García-Lorido)
Hope Davis	...	Cassandra
Milo Ventimiglia	...	Danny DeMarco
Max Casella	...	Osgood
Stanley Tucci	...	Baby
Sofía Vergara	...	DD
Jason Alexander	...	Pinky
Anne Heche	...	Roxy
Chris Browning	...	Tiel
Matthew Willig	...	Kinlaw
François Vincentelli	...	Benny
Davenia McFadden	...	Millicent (as Daviena McFadden)
Michael Papajohn	...	Pit Boss

Storyline

Nick Wild (Jason Statham) is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss. Suddenly Nick is plunged into the criminal underworld, chased by enforcers and wanted by the mob. Having raised the stakes, Nick has one last play to change his fortunes...and this time, it's all or nothing.

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Plot Keywords:

brutality | torture | threatening to cut off penis | female frontal nudity | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

Never bet against a man with a killer hand

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality/nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, Brian De Palma was slated to direct until Simon West replaced him.

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Goofs

When Holly is dumped outside the hospital, it is in actuality West Jeff Medical Center in Marrero, LA, just outside New Orleans. That's a long way from Las Vegas, NV where the film is set.

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Quotes

Nick Wild: Dyin' ain't so bad. And at least I'll be out of Las Vegas.

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Alternate Versions

There is an extended cut available on home video running 103 minutes long.

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Connections

References American Gangster (2007)

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Soundtracks

Gambling Blues
Written by Magic Slim (as Morris Holt)
Performed by Magic Slim and the Teardrops

User Reviews

Sure, it's by the numbers, but, all in all, a great genre movie

Great movie. Admittedly, I'm a big Jason Statham fan, since he's about the only action star worth watching anymore, but what makes this work is the director doesn't ask too much of him. No big demands on his acting, just let him be himself and show off his martial arts skills -- which, after all, is what we watch him for.

Statham plays a compulsive gambler who earns his living in Las Vegas by providing his unique services to people who need help. When a prostitute gets beat up by a "made" man, he sets out to act as a go-between in order to seek compensation. Complications ensue and he has to fight his way out of trouble.

You might complain that the action doesn't really rev up until the last thirty minutes or so and the ending is kind of a cop out, but what does it matter? It's great to see Statham doing what he does best. Jason, take some advice: you're not much of an actor. Accept it and stick to scripts like this that recognize your limitations and work around them.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 2015 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Heat

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,738,764

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, SJ Heat Productions, Sierra / Affinity

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 102 min (Extended Cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1