Don't go in expecting a crime thriller...
Though it's heavily marketed as a crime thriller, it would be best to approach Rupert Wyatt's remake of 'The Gambler' as a character study. A study of at times a confusing and unlikable protagonist, but an engaging one nonetheless.
Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), the grandson of one of the richest men in California, is a failed writer/literature professor who gambles recklessly. It seems that he is deliberately trying to lose and propel himself deeper and deeper into debt. Perhaps this is a means of punishing himself for his failed dreams, or maybe he just gets a buzz from the risk involved. I've never counted myself as a huge Wahlberg fan, generally due to his constant portrayal of aggressive alpha-male types in action films, but I'm going to have to say that this is one of his best roles, up there with his performances in 'Boogie Nights' and 'The Departed'. The actor's radical weight loss, as well as his perpetually shabby and unhealthy state all contribute to the impression of a very emotionally troubled man, one who attempts to hide behind a confident exterior. He may not have been the best choice for the role, but he does do a very good job nonetheless.
Even though they receive only about two to three scenes each, John Goodman and Jessica Lange give standout performances, as a somewhat sympathetic loan shark and Bennett's worried yet preoccupied mother, respectively.
At times the screenplay doesn't clearly lay out why Bennett acts in such a self-destructive manner, thereby making him quite an alienating figure to the audience. We're really left with hints to piece together what comprises the professor's troubled psyche. He comes across as someone who has lost direction in his life, as a result embracing any sort of intense thrill he can get, as well as the suffering resulting from it. Through his interactions with other characters, it seems that he gradually gets some of that direction back.
Though I haven't seen the original 1974 film starring James Caan (which I've heard is a far superior production), the contemporary remake I still found to be a worthwhile experience. Maybe people were expecting a more action-oriented crime film due to the casting of Wahlberg, or were just plain confused and put off by the somewhat unlikable nature of his character, but I was able to relate to him to a degree, and found the film's ending to be oddly uplifting.
Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), the grandson of one of the richest men in California, is a failed writer/literature professor who gambles recklessly. It seems that he is deliberately trying to lose and propel himself deeper and deeper into debt. Perhaps this is a means of punishing himself for his failed dreams, or maybe he just gets a buzz from the risk involved. I've never counted myself as a huge Wahlberg fan, generally due to his constant portrayal of aggressive alpha-male types in action films, but I'm going to have to say that this is one of his best roles, up there with his performances in 'Boogie Nights' and 'The Departed'. The actor's radical weight loss, as well as his perpetually shabby and unhealthy state all contribute to the impression of a very emotionally troubled man, one who attempts to hide behind a confident exterior. He may not have been the best choice for the role, but he does do a very good job nonetheless.
Even though they receive only about two to three scenes each, John Goodman and Jessica Lange give standout performances, as a somewhat sympathetic loan shark and Bennett's worried yet preoccupied mother, respectively.
At times the screenplay doesn't clearly lay out why Bennett acts in such a self-destructive manner, thereby making him quite an alienating figure to the audience. We're really left with hints to piece together what comprises the professor's troubled psyche. He comes across as someone who has lost direction in his life, as a result embracing any sort of intense thrill he can get, as well as the suffering resulting from it. Through his interactions with other characters, it seems that he gradually gets some of that direction back.
Though I haven't seen the original 1974 film starring James Caan (which I've heard is a far superior production), the contemporary remake I still found to be a worthwhile experience. Maybe people were expecting a more action-oriented crime film due to the casting of Wahlberg, or were just plain confused and put off by the somewhat unlikable nature of his character, but I was able to relate to him to a degree, and found the film's ending to be oddly uplifting.
- ZChrisJ1995
- Feb 7, 2015