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Throughout his career, Mark Wahlberg has proven himself to be a jack of all roles, effortlessly handling everything from comedy to big-budget action. This year alone, he’s gone from headlining Michael Bay’s latest big, noisy Transformers movie, Age of Extinction, to thinning down for director Rupert Wyatt’s remake of the 1974 crime thriller The Gambler.
The Gambler stars Wahlberg as Jim Bennett, an aimless college literature professor who escapes the boredom of his charmed life by moonlighting as a high-stakes gambler. When his rich and powerful grandfather dies, leaving his grandson none of his fortune, Jim finds himself with serious debts and no way to pay them.
With just seven days to pay off more than a quarter of a million dollars in debt—or else—Jim finds himself facing loan sharks and his enraged mother as he tries to borrow, gamble, and con his way to financial freedom.
With this year’s holiday releases boasting A-list directors and award season buzz, The Gambler is definitely a box office long shot. It’s smaller, simpler, and a lot less flashy than other holiday weekend contenders, with a story that isn’t exactly eye-catching. And there’s nothing especially original or memorable here. The relationships lack development, and the story is short on surprises. Still, Jim’s gambling binges do build their own kind of tension and suspense, while Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan offers the occasional moments of brilliance with his crisp, clever dialogue.
Really, though, it’s the cast that pushes the film just slightly above even money. John Goodman gives a highly entertaining performance as Frank, the outspoken loan shark—though it doesn’t hurt that he was given some of the best lines. And Michael K. Williams has his share of stand-out moments as the smooth-talking crime boss who seems endlessly amused by Jim’s increasingly bold (and almost always unwise) moves.
But The Gambler is really Wahlberg’s film. Jim may be a spoiled and irresponsible character who’s desperate for some excitement to shake up his otherwise apathetic existence, but Wahlberg makes him more likable than you might expect, giving him a kind of roguish charisma. He truly shines when he steps in front of class, delivering fascinating rants and diatribes that will make you wish that you’d had him for your freshman lit class. And, with some help from his supporting cast, he’s able to keep the film from being a total bust.
With its stripped-down style and minimal buzz, The Gambler isn’t the typical holiday release—and for good reason. Because while the solid performances are worth a look, it simply isn’t worth braving the holiday weekend crowds to be one of the first to see it.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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