Movie release date: December 25, 2014(United States)
Main cast: Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, John Goodman, George Kennedy, Jessica Lange
Genre: Casino drama, Inspirational movie
Casino movies and gambling scenes are undoubtedly fascinating dramas, just like action thrillers. Any gambling fan will sit in front of the screen if the movie will show some dashing scenes of deception and gambling play. But is it all the movies reflect about casinos and gambling? If you are looking for a new angle, a reality perhaps, we have got an excellent pick for you!
Gambler, casino drama of 2014, is a contemporary movie that abides with the motive to showcase the reality of the modern gambling addiction. It particularly focuses on the other side of gambling that exists in this world which we usually ignore over the lavish entertainment of casinos. Read forth to discover all about the movie and why you should watch it today!
Major movie plot
Gambling, as depicted in this movie, isn’t restricted to the walls of the casino dens. Jim Bennett (played by Mark Wahlberg) is a literature professor in LA who is an ignorant man and one big addict for betting money. From the movie’s beginning, the protagonist has a character under heavy debts of around $250000. The lenders pester over him to repay the money and even threaten to kill him within a week, which apparently does not affect him.
He is shown as a straightforward teacher and a crude addict who even develops an interest in one of his students because she was a casino waitress. Loaning cash soon becomes a demand in his life when he is tortured to bribe another student in a football match-fixing deal and further pay off his old debts.
His family denies helping him with any money where he turns to other loan sharks to add more to his debts. His addiction seems to disrupt his relations and social communications, ultimately affecting his life. The movie progresses with these tussles and fights around gambling, taking loans, and how the addict fights to come over. However, it finally concludes with the professor’s debt settled.
Prominent casino scenes
There are two major scenes in the movie depicting sheer addiction and consequences. The first; when Jim gambles away more cash with Amy in the casino even when he was already under the debt of a loan shark and an underground gambling ring. The second is the final scene when he wagers the entire amount to the lenders and wins the roulette spin, clearing off all his debts in a single go.
Message to takeaway
Overall, the movie might have a few scenes in the casino dens, where roulette is prominent, but the overall plot hangs around the gambling addiction. Unlike other thriller dramas where casino con acts have a scene or two, The Gambler of 2014 extensively covers the major story around the casino.
It is a reality reflected in the simplest way where a learned man like professor Jim Bennett, as discussed, falls prey to the addiction, finally wagering his entirety. The movie is an inspirational watch delivering a firm message promoting conscious gambling to avoid debts and self-destruction.