The Gambler [2 Discs] [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD]

Overview

In this remake of the James Caan 1974 vehicle The Gambler, an English professor (Mark Wahlberg) who is also a compulsive gambler finds that the only people who will have anything to do with him are those to whom he owes money. Wahlberg stars as Jim Bennett, a lecturer reeling from the death of his beloved grandfather (George Kennedy). His all-or-nothing personality gets him in debt for more than a quarter of a million dollars to the no-nonsense Mr. Lee (Alvin Ing), who runs an illegal gambling den. Jim attempts to play his way out of the hole by borrowing money from vicious criminal Neville Baraka (Michael Kenneth Williams), but his strategy backfires and leaves him owing the latter as well. His wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) initially refuses to give him any more money, which prompts Jim to make contact with Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark who offers to front him the cash he needs, but promises that failure to repay will lead to the death of his "bloodline." At the same time, Jim teaches a class of college kids about Shakespeare and Camus. His best student, Amy (Brie Larson), openly flirts with him, but he's also preoccupied with trying to get through to Lamar (Anthony Kelley), a star basketball player whom the university higher-ups want him to pass so he can continue to play.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/28/2015
UPC:	0032429216212
Original Release:	2014
Rating:	R
Source:	PARAMOUNT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:50:00
Sales rank:	40,187

Special Features

Closed Caption; Mr. Self Destruct: Inside The Gambler; Dark Before Dawn: The Descent of The Gambler; Changing the game: Adaptation; In the city: Locations; Dressing the players: Costume Design; Deleted/Extended Scenes

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Brie Larson	Amy Phillips
Jessica Lange	Roberta
Emory Cohen	Dexter
Anthony Kelley	Lamar Allen
Griffin Cleveland	Young Jim
Omar Leyva	Valet
Chil Kong	Blackjack Dealer #1
Da'Vone McDonald	Neville's Muscle
Cjon Saulsberry	Neville's Posse
Teebone Mitchell	Neville's Posse,Jim's Dad
Alvin Ing	Mister Lee
Karen Ritchie	Blackjack Dealer #2
Tina Wang	Roulette Croupier
Josiah Blount	Nebbishy Student
Shakira Ja'nai Paye	Questioning Student
Melanie McComb	Mouthy Student
Domenick Lombardozzi	Big Ernie
Chanon Finley	Pole Dancer
Raquel Pomplun	Bottle Service Girl
Lauren Weedman	Banker
James Wellington	Indian Casino Dealer
Carlos L. Smith	Indian Casino Ranchero
Steven Fisher	Indian Casino Gambler #1,Basketball Coach
Henry Penzi	Indian Casino Gambler #2
Steve Kim	Mister Lee's Heavy #1
Todd Tetreault	ROTC Squad Leader
Trevor Denman	Horse Race Announcer
Jessika Van	Sports Bar Waitress
Mike Rylander	Game Announcer
Marques Johnson	Game Color Man
Mark Schotz	Assistant Basketball Coach
Kent Avenido	Gambling Den Owner
Marc Abbink	Press Member
Rio Ahn	Korean Pit Boss
Cham	Student
Greg Duncan	Security Consultant
Rex Hindrichs	Donovan Cham
Jahmilla Jackson	Supporting,Wilhelm
Case Lawyer	Gambler Ken
Eddie Martinez	Steward
T.J. Nibbio	Basketball Fan
Monda Scott	Nurse
Norman Towns	Brodey
Taylor West	Female Basketball Player
Moses Yim	Upscale Gambler
Anne McDaniels	Exotic Dancer Savannah
Sonya Walger	Angelina
Caitlin O'Connor	Poker Masseuse
Lindsey Elizabeth	Katie
Meghan Aruffo	Lifeguard
Ellen Ho	Student
Natalija Ugrina	Masseuse
Alexandra Vino	Lori
Jon Komp Shin	Heavy
Rupert Wyatt	Actor
Jason Her	Radio Host
Brian Woods	Referee
Stephen Woo	Karaoke Singer
Kelly Bacon	High-Fiving Court Fan
William Patrick Brown	Party Guest
Stephen Choi	Black Jack Dealer
Christian Taylor	Student
Scott Cordts	Fan
Lawannah Ann Curry	Upscale Gambler
J. Denise	Posse (Janet Mc)
Nicki Dion	Student
Jennifer Floyd	Nurse
Jonathan Gatz	Screaming Fan
Alex Gregory	Basketball Player
Dawayne Jordan	Basketball Fan
Anita Liao	Casino Hostess
Airrese Marie	Hooker
Hanna Messick	Cheongsam Girl
Christopher Nicoletti	Basketball Coach
Rebecca Robertson	Student
Justin Ryan	Basketball Fan
Iain Sandison	Bookstore Guy
Joseph Steven	Funeral Priest
Eric Bryan Stone	Basketball Player
Steven Wong	Mr. Mahjong
Jen Yim	Showgirl
Teazz Yung	Supporting
Michael Kenneth Williams	Actor
Theo Green	Composer

Technical Credits

James Toback

Mark Wahlberg	Director
Irwin Winkler	Director
Robert Chartoff	Director
James Toback	Producer,Executive Producer,Screenwriter
David Crockett	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

Writer/director James Toback typically tells stories about the same type of main character: an intelligent, hyper-verbal white guy with a compulsive self-destructive streak, who gets himself in over his head financially and romantically. That was true of his very first script, 1974's The Gambler (directed by Karel Reisz), which director Rupert Wyatt has remade with Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed). Mark Wahlberg stars as Jim Bennett, a literature professor reeling from the death of his beloved grandfather (George Kennedy). His all-or-nothing personality gets him in debt for more than a quarter of a million dollars to the no-nonsense Mr. Lee (Alvin Ing), who runs an illegal gambling den. Jim attempts to play his way out of the hole by borrowing money from vicious criminal Neville Baraka (Michael Kenneth Williams), but his strategy backfires and leaves him owing the latter as well. His wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) initially refuses to give him any more money, which prompts Jim to make contact with Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark who offers to front him the cash he needs, but promises that failure to repay will lead to the death of his "bloodline." At the same time, Jim teaches a class of college kids about Shakespeare and Camus. His best student, Amy (Brie Larson), openly flirts with him, but he's also preoccupied with trying to get through to Lamar (Anthony Kelley), a star basketball player whom the university higher-ups want him to pass so he can continue to play. The Gambler has a rock-solid plot, but Wyatt and Monahan aren't as interested in what will happen as they are in why. The film is a character study that has you wondering what's in Jim's soul right up to the climax. Wahlberg carries the movie and gives an unexpected performance: Though he's best known for playing tough guys, this character is all about mental, not physical, intimidation. It's a talky picture, and Wahlberg and company are all quite comfortable with the heady mix of tough-guy insults, existential philosophy, and theatrical monologues. The film is little more than a series of pissing contests that Jim has with other alpha males, all of them in service of a dangerous internal journey in which he tries to determine whether or not he has anything to live for. Monahan has given the characters the kind of hard-boiled dialogue that makes you laugh without ever undercutting the tension -- think Ray Winstone's speech in The Departed about guys you can hit and guys you can't hit -- and each member of the cast is adept at simultaneously playing the comedy and the seriousness. You don't need to see the original to appreciate Wyatt's movie, but if you have, you might have even more admiration for the new version. In the end, The Gambler turns out to be one of those rare remakes that manages to stand on its own terms, while still being faithful to the themes and tone of the original. It's loyal to the past without being beholden to it. That was also true of Wyatt's previous film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and that ability to make the old seem new again indicates that he's a valuable director in an era when Hollywood seems averse to green-lighting anything that doesn't have built-in name recognition.