thegamblermovie.com
Rated: R
This film remakes a 1974 movie starring James Caan as English Lit professor Jim Bennett, irresistibly drawn to high-stakes, high-risk gambling. Mark Wahlberg plays the professor in this updated remake. Now set in Los Angeles, we meet Bennett while on a winning streak that involves doubling and redoubling his bet until finally he loses it all— plus another $20,000—to a ruthless loan shark. With threats of bodily injury looming, Bennett persuades his wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) to loan him the money. He then draws his pretty, talented young student Amy (Brie Larson), in on a plan to use his mother’s loan as seed money when the two of them take a gambling road trip with predictably awful results. In an effort to wipe the slate clean, Bennett attempts to persuade another one of his students, university-star-basketball player Lamar (Anthony Kelley), to throw a game. However, whether any consequence can persuade Bennett of the necessity of overcoming his gambling addiction, is the question at the heart of this thoughtful script.
