The Gambler

The Gambler, Rupert Wyatt's latest was much more than I was expecting. Considering how often I come away from a film feeling like I got less than I expected, or less than was promised, it was a welcome surprise to be treated to such a deep, relatable, intelligent character. Mark Whalberg's portrayal of Jim Bennet, our desperate hero, was spot on. The Gambler did suffer from a problem a lot of movies these days: a marketing campaign so removed from the film itself that you went into a film expecting a completely different film. Other films that come to mind that I think have suffered from this recently include Non-Stop and The Equalizer, both much more nuanced and intelligent than the one-dimensional action flicks I expected from the marketing campaigns.
I did not expect brooding, french-inspired, existential angst. Don't get me wrong, this was definitely a Hollywood film. Instead of the tired Hollywood version of existential crisis that has nothing to offer but navel-gazing ennui and anxiety, it put our hero on a path of self-destruction that was blinding, and brilliant, and unrelenting in the face of everything. Those moments in a film when your hero fails to do the reasonable thing, instead sticking to some internal moral code, that make you cheer and throw your hands up in exasperation at the same time? That was this film from beginning to end, and the character's code was "fuck it."
I haven't seen the 1974 version of this film, but am eager to see if they hit the same points in the same way. From what I've seen online, it looks like the 1974 Gambler was actually about gambling, whereas the 2014 Gambler is decidedly not a film about gambling.
High Points:
The supoorting cast holds this film together. While Whalberg is great, his character is too detached to spend the entire film with. His detachment is balanced out by the supporting characters' earnestness and concern. Jessica Lange's cold but sincere Roberta (Bennet's mother), and John Goodman's dark and greedy, but well-intentioned Frank both stand out, but the heart of the movie is held by newcomer Anthony Kelley whose charming college basketball star makes us all want to hope for greatness in this dark, desperate terrain.
Low Points:
The film should have ended exactly two shots earlier. Staying spoiler free, I will just say that it was disappointing that the film, after treating us like adults the whole way through, gave in to lowest-common denominator thinking at the end and stooped to wrapping up lines with pretty bows rather than leaving us with the more powerful imagery.
Bonus Points:
"Fuck You."