Most remakes have a very simple, not particularly noble goal: to play off the name recognition of a popular/somewhat popular title or franchise in the hopes of making money. The people that make these films often don't care if you revisit the original film; in fact, it's probably to their advantage of you don't, because then you'd realize how sub-bar the new version is. I'm certainly not one of those people whose knee-jerk reaction to a remake/reboot is to go negative and assume it will be terrible. But a great deal of the time, that is exactly the case.
That being said, I'm guessing the makers of THE GAMBLER (a remake of the 1974 film starring James Caan, from a autobiographical James Toback screenplay, directed by Karel Reisz) would like nothing more than for audience members to see their version of this story and be inspired to check out the little-seen, 40-year-old masterpiece. This time around, the Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan (THE DEPARTED, also a remake of sorts) and director Rupert Wyatt (the fantastic reboot RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE ESCAPIST) have teamed up with Mark Walhberg playing the gambling-addicted English professor Jim Bennett, who gambles with every aspect of his life—from family relations to his job to romantic entanglements.
In one of the few pure acting outings of his career that doesn't involve action gunplay, Wahlberg plays Bennett as a layered and troubled individual who usually knows what he needs to do to get out of a tight situation with people he owes money to, but that doesn't always mean he's going to do said thing. At various points during the film, Bennett owes money to three different, all dangerous men, any one of which will kill him and everyone in his bloodline just to make a point. Still, it's great to watch Bennett walk into a gambling den (the film is set in Los Angeles, but not one that is familiar to most) with a little money in his pocket and the slick confidence of a man who can't lose. And during the course of the next few hours, we simply watch that light in his eyes and spring in his step get chipped away until he becomes just another desperate man, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. It's a remarkable transformation, and Wahlberg sells the shit out of it.
But believe it or not, THE GAMBLER isn't strictly a film about a man with a gambling addiction. We also see Bennett several times in his classroom, where he seems to spend more time convincing his students that unless they are exceptional than there's really no reason to think about writing as a career. The student he sees the greatest potential is Amy (Brie Larson, in her first major role since last year's SHORT TERM 12), a wallflower of a presence in the classroom, but also an observer of people and their behavior, and she is understandably drawn to Bennett and his self-destructive ways. The two are set up for a potential romance, but the film doesn't hinge on whether they end up together, and it's all the better for it.
Far more interesting is watching Bennett work the system of loan sharks and gambling parlors. He owes too much money for any right-minded shark to give him more money, but he somehow manages to keep digging himself deeper. He's also smart enough to know that they can't really kill him for the same reason—they can't afford to lose all of that money. Michael K. Williams is good as Neville Baraka, one of the loan sharks Bennett tries to give the slip almost from the word go. They have a fantastically complicated relationship that is made up of equal parts respect and contempt. And I dare you take your eyes off of John Goodman's Frank; he's the charming devil that you do not borrow money from. Of course, Bennett does just that. But Frank has also played father figure to Bennett for years, and gives him some sound advice before taking a piece of his friend's soul.
Speaking of givers of money, I wish there had been more with Bennett and his spiteful—with good reason—mother (Jessica Lange), a rich woman who knows that helping her son out with cash is a ticket to actually making things worse for him and between them. Their too-few scenes together are strangely moving and deeply sad.
Pay particular attention to newcomer Anthony Kelley, who plays Bennett's basketball star student Lamar Allen, a kid who looks up to his teacher even if he can't seem to pay attention in his class. Bennett must enlist Lamar in some shady dealings late in the film, and it throws a terrible light over their relationship. Keep a close eye out for colorful cameos from the likes of George Kennedy(!), Domenick Lombardozzi and Andre Braugher, all of whom add impressive accents in just the right doses to The Gambler.
If you think THE GAMBLER is going to be some overly stylized, ultra-slick film about playing cards (like the abysmal 21), you can just stay outside in the car. This film is closer to OWNING MAHOWNY (the grossly underrated/under-seen 2003 Philip Seymour Hoffman indie) than anything else. It's a creature of almost pure tension and fractured emotions—so much so that it's sometimes difficult to watch Wahlberg go through some of the pain he brings on himself, admittedly. Wahlberg brings his workman-like energy to the performance but fine tunes it with a craftsman's skill. There were times watching the film that I had to remind myself who I was watching. Gone is the oversized, muscle-bound knuckled head from PAIN AND GAIN and the last TRANSFORMERS film. Hell, Bennett only owns one sports coat, and it's too damn big for him.
At its core, THE GAMBLER is about an intelligent and logical man who behaves like the very losers he clearly hates in both literature and life. He surrounds himself with lowlifes so he can feel better about himself, but he so rarely does. It's a delicate, fragile film that feels rough and tumble because so many of its locations are gritty and not pretty. There are moments lifted right out of the original film, and others that are unique to this updated version of the story, which is set in the present but maintains something of a '70s vibe. I suggest you go in to witness some tremendous acting, but I'm guessing you'll come out digging the whole package. In the landscape of holiday releases, THE GAMBLER is certainly unique and a fascinating watch.
