The Gambler (2014)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Well-paced and reasonably entertaining in its own right, The Gambler still suffers from comparisons to the James Caan classic that inspired it.
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Cast
as Jim Bennett
as Amy Phillips
as Roberta
as Frank
as Dexter
as Jeweler
as Lamar Allen
as Ed
as Young Jim
as Valet
as Number 2
as Neville Baraka
as Blackjack Dealer #1
as Neville's Muscle
as Neville's Bookkeeper
as Neville's Posse
as Neville's Posse
as Mister Lee
as Blackjack Dealer #2
as Roulette Croupier
as Nebbishy Student
as Questioning Student
as Mouthy Student
as Dean Fuller
as Big Ernie
as Pole Dancer
as Bottle Service Girl
as Wide Eyed Student
as Banker
as Indian Casino Dealer
as Indian Casino Ranchero
as Indian Casino Gambler #1
as Indian Casino Gambler #2
as Mister Lee's Heavy #1
as Mister Lee's Heavy #2
as Larry Jones
as ROTC Squad Leader
as Horse Race Announcer
as Sports Bar Waitress
as Game Announcer
as Game Color Man
as Assistant Basketball Coach
as Basketball Coach
as Gambling Den Owner
as Referee
as Press Member
as Karaoke Singer
as Korean Pit Boss
as Student
as Security Consultant
as Radio Host
as High-Fiving Court Fan
as Donovan Cham (Wildcats Player)
as Party Guest
as Supporting
as Wilhelm
as Gambler Ken
as Black Jack Dealer
as Steward
as Student
as Fan
as Jim's Dad
as Upscale Gambler
as Posse (Janet Mc)
as Nurse
as Brodey
as Student
as Female Basketball Player
as Nurse
as Upscale Gambler
as Screaming Fan
as Basketball Player
as Basketball Fan
as Casino Hostess
as Hooker
as Cheongsam Girl
as Basketball Fan
as Basketball Coach
as Student
as Basketball Fan
as Bookstore Guy
as Funeral Priest
as Basketball Player
as Mr. Mahjong
as Showgirl
as Supporting
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Critic Reviews for The Gambler
All Critics (136) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (60) | Rotten (76) | DVD (1)
The dialogue never leaves the surface and the running across Los Angeles that happens in the last sequence is supposed to thrill you, but it's such a cliché that your embarrassment extends to the crew member who has to follow with the camera.
Though Wahlberg is a fine actor, there's no way I can buy him as a college English professor holding forth on Shakespeare and Camus.
The hopeful ending comes off as too little, too late. Wahlberg gives the role his all, but sticking with him is a futile gesture. The Gambler never pays off. It's a sucker's bet.
As The Gambler becomes less about its protagonist's dashed intellectualism and more about the gathering danger of his predicament, the film gains power.
An agreeable if ridiculous slice of old-school Hollywood machismo ...
It's just like the Kenny Rogers song says: "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." It's time for this "Gambler" to walk away.
Audience Reviews for The Gambler
Mark Wahlberg stars as The Gambler in this a drab and nihilistic thriller. When college professor Jim Bennett has his gambling debts called in by the Chinese mob he's given seven days to come up with the money. Wahlberg gives a decent performance, but his character is rather unlikable; as he seems to be self-destructing just to see how far he can go. Additionally, the plot is weak and doesn't have a clear direction. Yet director Rupert Wyatt does a nice job at creating an atmospheric tone, and at bringing tension to the scenes. While The Gambler has its moments, it fails to deliver a compelling story.
Super Reviewer
Wahlberg's existential crisis is sharply written and briskly paced, but in a film that's a little too aimless.
Super Reviewer
"The Gambler" is slick, interesting, but ultimately dull and boring. I had so many mixed feelings leaving the screening for this film. Great performances all around, but a premise that has already been done to death. After losing his grandfather, Jim Bennett is faced with his past as all the people he owes money to, come back to haunt him. He has natural luck for gambling but does not know how to get out when he is high. There is some great tension building in the betting portions of the film and whether he will make it out alive, but with hardly a score and a very slow pace, "The Gambler" is kind of a sleeper that will be forgotten in years to come. Not to say that any of the film is particularly bad, it just doesn't do anything new and the script needs some work. Overall, I had a decent time watching this film, but there is nothing special enough about it to warrant a recommendation. I honestly expected more from the director of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."
Super Reviewer
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