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The Gambler
2014
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The Gambler
Positive Reviews
70
Negative reviews
40
Average Rating
2.8
/5
destructive
entertaining
riveting
powerful
typical
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Positive
Negative
2.0
Blackjack is more of a noose than a needle for this self destructive blowhard, and if that sounds less dramatic than the tale of a man who just cant w ..
Av Club
2.0
Miscast, misguided, and a missed opportunity on just about every level, Rupert Wyatts overly slick underworld thriller about a literature professor wi ..
EW
2.5
This format works well for action movies and superhero yarns; not so much for dramas.The Gambler refuses to acknowledge that Bennett has a gambling ad ..
Rogerebert
3.0
In a way, its more alluring and less profound than the original, but enough of a cautionary tale that its still worth a look.
Common Sense Media
2.0
A cooly entertaining countdown narrative whose stakes rarely feel as life and death as theyre meant to.
Indie Wire
3.0
Theres enough swaggering cynicism for three pictures but barely enough soul to sustain even one in Rupert Wyatts The Gambler, a stylish, energetic but ..
Variety
3.0
The mysteries we chase every day hinge on us spiking that one magic card sometimes it hits, and sometimes it doesnt.
We Got This Covered
2.0
Along with journalism and medicine, academia has long proved one of the most ill represented professions on screen.
The Guardian
2.0
Its another tellingly personal tale of a highbrow guy with a lowlife secret.
The Guardian
4.0
Those looking for a typical Wahlberg thriller might come away disappointed. Others looking for a less sure bet might reap the rewards.
The Guardian
2.5
With 2011s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Rupert Wyatt demonstrated a rare enough knack for cramming sophisticated ideas in with the sheeny packaging ..
1.9
Starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Rupert Wyatt, The Gambler is a remake of the 1974 film written by James Toback.The film will be released in the ..
3.5
This is a chilly, blue gray black monolith of a movie, occasionally beautiful and cool, but often forbidding and cruel in its bleakness.
Vulture
3.5
Even then, its not over yet, and Monahan and director Rupert Wyatt have contrived a resolution that is rather more audience friendly than the bloodily ..
The Hollywood Reporter
3.0
Or the marble in a maelstrom clatter and drop of a croupiers roulette wheel
2.5
When Marilyn Monroe pulled that kind of stunt it was comedy gold, but it just makes Jim and Mr. Wahlberg look silly.
The New York Times
3.5
2014s slickest bender, The Gambler provides enough pleasure in its visceral storytelling.
IGN
2.0
Wyatts riveting 2008 prison break thriller, The Escapist, showcased a serious flair for rangy, 1970s style macho fun.
Telegraph
5.0
The original film, directed by Karel Reisz from a script by James Toback that dovetailed a semi autobiographical story with one by Dostoevsky and star ..
3.0
A rare grown up thriller, full of interesting bits and a strong turn from Wahlberg.
2.0
There is a lot to like in Rupert Wyatts film, but not nearly enough to make it an enjoyable movie watching experience.
Cinema Blend
3.0
Jim, on the other hand, really cant.Wahlberg does well as the rational professor, but never gets to the irrational heart of the addict.
Ny Daily News
2.5
Wyatt probably could still make a hell of a film given the right material, but THE GAMBLER just isnt it.
JoBlo
2.0
With three solid performances, the stakes remain high, and the payout out the end is understandable (if not impactful).
Screen Rant
2.5
Full of post hippie fatalism and cynical macho barroom existentialism, the original film feels very much of its era, and the remake anachronistic.
The Globe And Mail
2.5
Despite terrific, witty performances by Williams and Goodman, most of the talent is wasted in this picture.
Philly
2.0
But it merely underscores the vacuity of the action its commenting upon.
One Guys Opinion
4.5
Wyatt ... brings some bristly, swaggering energy to the thing, and that in turn may have loosened Wahlberg up: Hes both more intense and freer than he ..
Village Voice
3.1
The ending may be a total cop out, but Wahlberg never embarrasses himself.
Rogers Movie Nation
3.8
The 2014 iteration isnt as good as its 1974 predecessor but it offers its share of small pleasures, not the least of which is the crisp, sharp dialogu ..
ReelViews
2.0
10 1 4 / 10 The Gambler is a remake of a 1974 feature, a semi autobiographical effort that launched screenwriter James Tobacks career and provided sta ..
Blu Ray
3.0
Mark Wahlberg stars in this remake of James Tobacks 1974 debut film, as a once promising novelist whose career has petered out and whose gambling addi ..
Chicago Reader
3.8
Its enough.If Jim is inconsistent as a character, at least those inconsistencies come across as quirks of an unbalanced individual.
Mark Reviews Movies
2.0
The Gambler is entertaining in a dark, slick way and there is some fine acting by some fine actors.
2.0
The Gambler is entertaining in a dark, slick way and there is some fine acting by some fine actors.
1.9
The Gambler is a hollow, overwrought and glibly cynical remake of a 70s drama about a self destructive academic.
Usa Today
4.0
We are sorry, you need to be a subscriber to watch this video We are sorry, you need to be a subscriber to watch this video A remake of the 1974 thril ..
The Times
3.0
The films self consciously stylish visuals are sometimes out of kilter with the narrative focus on existential angst.
Radio Times
3.0
Its easy enough to watch, but it didnt engage me any more than watching some high roller do his or her thing at a casino with thousands on the line.It ..
Screen It
2.0
In 1970s US cinema, the Easy Riders Raging Bulls era, it was easier to depict characters who turned conventional ideas of movie heroes on their head.
Independent
2.5
Wyatt keeps the action coming at a fast clip, but watching Jim repeatedly pursue a path of self destruction for reasons never made clear grows wearyin ..
Rolling Stone
3.0
The director also makes the blackjack sequences so tense and exciting that you wish that same level of engagement spilled over to the rest of the movi ..
The Wrap
2.5
Wahlbergs Jim has charm, talent and a serious self destructive streak.
News Day
3.8
While structurally uninteresting, the film is not, then, quite predictable.
New York Post
2.0
But Bennett is a character who is so clearly in love with himself that you dont even flinch when he pulls out a gun and a bottle of whiskey.The film h ..
Az Central
3.1
But high style, artful mood setting and strong acting all around are offset by what ultimately becomes more like a stream of music video excerpts than ..
Star Tribune
4.5
It doesnt quite work as a package, but Wahlberg is a real pleasure to watch as he crafts a portrait of a tormented anti hero with an apparent death wi ..
3.1
The Gambler A gaunt Mark Wahlberg, left, and a menacing John Goodman star in The Gambler.( Claire Folger / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ) Starring Mark Wahlbe ..
Toronto Star
3.0
But not quite enough that youll remember what that something might be the next day.
Salon
4.0
Wahlberg, so often wasted in pumped up fare such as Pain & Gain or Transformers: Age of Extinction, is exceptional pulling off a measured portrait of ..
Flim List
3.5
Technically, there is much to like and the way music and songs are used throughout being given little tastes is most effective.As for the payoff, it i ..
2.0
Rupert Wyatts discordant remake of the 1974 James Caan movie has a fatal flaw: the spoiled, self destructive protagonist is not someone with whom youd ..
Susang Ranger
2.0
There is such a thing as an unlikable protagonist, and its often something that can work and be as riveting as a hero you want to root for.
Flickering Myth
2.0
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Boston Herald
2.0
Sure, violent things happen in LAs dark alleys, but despite a solid performance by Wahlberg, a sense of tense immediacy is never truly felt.
The Film Stage
1.9
And if you are saying to yourself just like life itself! then you probably took Lit 101 from Bennett, who might be the worlds worst teacher.
Boston Globe
3.0
Instead of swearing and swagger, The Gambler gives us dilettantish navel gazing and boo hoo freshman year philosophy sermons.
Uproxx
3.5
The Gambler movie review: to bet, or not to bet by MaryAnn Johanson It doesnt quite work as a package, but Wahlberg is a real pleasure to watch as he ..
Flickfilosopher
3.0
It doesnt help that its released in the same week as JC Chandors A Most Dangerous Year, a film that manages to be a little bit Godfather, a little bit ..
The Irish Times
5.3
The result is intriguing, and never dull, but ultimately less than satisfying.
Blogs Indie Wire
1.0
Make a movie for audiences, make a movie for yourself.But dont make a movie designed to please the rank and file Oscar voter.
Blogs Indie Wire
3.0
But a genre exercise such as this needs invention, and while Wyatt trots out a slick stamp on proceedings with a game cast, his version never works up ..
Blogs Indie Wire
2.5
Its neither an acclaimed classic nor a beloved fan favorite, and theres no reason it couldnt be updated and recontextualized.
Las Vegas Weekly
2.0
GO LONDON newsletter Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Emai ..
Standard
4.5
The Bottom Line: The Gambler may not be for everyone, as it avoids the typical bombast of resorting to the violence or action of the usual crime thril ..
3.8
Despite the ambiguously forward looking philosophy If I get to nothing, then I can start over, The Gambler remains a study in the self destructive per ..
Groucho Reviews
3.0
Benedict Cumberbatch Wants You To Know He *Is* The Motherf*cking Grinch The Grinch star takes Mike Ryan through the final scenes of Avengers: Infinity ..
Hit Fix
2.5
Exactly which factor will ultimately win is very a matter of personal taste.Im tipping most interested onlookers will walk away none the wiser about w ..
Herald Sun
3.0
Lack of necessity notwithstanding, The Gambler is also plagued by its vacancy of spiritual tissue.
Consequence Of Sound
3.1
Frankly, the film would be better if there was more of them; you feel the drama deflate a little when they leave.
Nj
2.5
Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Escapist) certainly knows how to give a movie visual polish.
Movie Habit
1.5
Whats left is a frustratingly superficial film that alienates its characters as much as it does the audience.
Film Ink
3.5
Its not quite a holiday movie, but a powerful performance by Wahlberg makes it worth seeing. Daniel M. Kimmel is a veteran movie critic and author of ..
Maki At The Movies
3.5
The screenplay is clever in its pessimism, frankness, and wittiness, allowing characters to impart logic rarely spoken in film.
2.0
British director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) keeps upping the tempo with fast cuts and bloody fistfights, but unfortunately he doesn ..
Digital Spy
3.0
Death wish.The script by William Monahan (The Departed) refuses to deal answers, and Wahlbergs corrosively articulate Bennett remains poker faced thro ..
Games Radar
2.0
A lot of folks will think The Gambler is too downbeat and dirty for the holidays, to which Ill reply: You should see the 74 version.No, really, you sh ..
Tamp A Bay
2.5
The character as written is so pretentious and self destructive that its difficult for the audience to connect with his story.
Kansas City
4.4
The actors appeal, even when playing somewhat shameful characters, is on full display in The Gambler, a remarkably entertaining drama thats also, at t ..
Red Eye Chicago
3.1
In a role that would have been ideal for Tom Cruise in psycho mode, Wahlberg is merely OK. Unfortunately, the films effectiveness turns on whether we ..
Stl Today
2.5
Its decently made, but without strong characters or a resonant message the movie ultimately feels like a vanity project thats gone wrong somewhere alo ..
Contact Music
3.5
It zings and zaps through the various pitfalls in Bennetts life without turning things into an exercise in sadism.Every move our characters make seems ..
Film Racket
2.5
Its a mess, pure and simple, and remaking it turns out to be a suckers bet.
Hollywood And Fine
3.8
A richly realized exercise in style, in which an action director (Rise of the Planet of the Apes Rupert Wyatt) and an action star (Mark I think we got ..
Sltrib
3.0
Others do it out of sheer boredom.In the case of Jim Bennett (Walhberg), the best explanation I can come up with is depression.
The Film Pie
3.5
Those issues are in play within Wahlbergs Jim Bennett, too, but the new film is more like a salty, superficial homage to an earlier era in American mo ..
The Dissolve
1.5
Without worthwhile characters, a character piece is just a piece a bit of slang that fits the film quite nicely.
Cinemix Tape
3.0
What saves it is its ahole attitude.Monahan is a peerless writer of sharp witted insults and miserable utterances, which Wahlberg not always the most ..
Metro New York
2.0
Thanks to the presence of Goodman, Larson and Lange were presented with a stacked deck, so how come it feels like we spend two hours holding the bridg ..
One Room With A View
3.0
The Gambler is just shy of a great movie it doesnt quite add up like it should but it is a reminder that theres a very fine actor lurking in Mark Wahl ..
Flavor Wire
3.8
The film is full of great monologues delivered by powerful actors.
Crave Online
3.0
Kind of admirable, never less than watchable, but a bit of a mess.
Bitly
3.0
A Most Violent Year may lack originality but there are fine performances throughout, especially from Isaac.
Scots Man
3.0
Its a film that fails to be, something that cant even be said to be happening in front of you more that it passes right through the viewer like a ghos ..
Movie Mezzanine
3.1
A movie that displays a winning hand for much of its length should never turn up snake eyes at the end.
Clclt
2.0
The relationship thats forged between Wahlberg and Brie watch me in SHORT TERM 12 instead Larson that doesnt fit into the narrative structure, which i ..
Fresh Fiction
3.5
At the risk of overselling what is a good but not great movie, The Gambler is a slick, stylish thriller about gambling, self destruction and personal ..
Jam! Movies
3.0
The Gambler doesnt dig far below the surface of Jims addiction, but theres still entertainment value in watching a man go down in flames.
2.0
Synopsis Mark Wahlberg is the English professor whose compulsive gambling leaves him in serious debt to a trio of LAs most ruthless players: a Korean ..
Sky
2.5
No matter how finely feathered the hair or slim and trim the figure, Wahlberg is simply one of the glossy mistakes Wyatts film trips over.
Ion Cinema
2.0
MARK Wahlberg clearly relished spitting out William Monahans gritty dialogue in Martin Scorseses The Departed.
Daily Star
3.0
Film Review: The Gambler, Wahlberg Gambles With His Acting Range Some casting decisions should never happen.Shaq as Tinkerbell.
Theepoch Times
3.8
Mark Wahlberg is a sure bet in The Gambler, an update of a James Caan movie.
Qc Times
2.0
This is best performance Pacino didnt give in the 1980s.If only the movie were doing more than diagramming the rise of a tycoon.
Grant Land
2.5
The Gambler had all the right ingredients... but its a disappointing misfire that fails to capitalize on its intriguing premise.
Blog Bullz Eye
1.9
Jims not afraid to die, apparently, because Neville keeps threatening Jim with what will happen if he doesnt pay him back.
Tulsa World
2.5
Its probably unreasonable to expect a penetrating examination of gambling addiction from a movie starring Mark Wahlberg and released on Christmas, esp ..
Am Ny
4.0
Rudyard Kipling, in his seminal poem If provided the following one of many scenarios as a measure to whether youre a man: If you can make one heap of ..
Graffiti With Punctuation
3.0
The direction by Rupert Wyatt is not particularly memorable.It suffices.
Movie Chambers
1.5
The script is more than a bit unrealistic, and annoyingly insulting to the audiences intelligence.
Kaplan Vs Kaplan
3.0
Wants to be a philosophical look at lifes big issues, using Bennetts fall from grace as a backdrop, but in the end delivers Hollywood cynicism.
Richard Crouse
3.8
The Gambler is about the torturous dissatisfaction some people feel when theyve managed to do everything right but still dont feel fulfilled
Miami
3.0
Oy!.Why remake an abrasive portrait of auto annihilation if all youre going to do is cop out and wrap everything up neatly in a bow
Metro Times
3.1
Goodman is able to muster every bit of action out of Monahans words, and its a thoroughly welcome addition to the proceedings.
Ut Sandiego
3.0
But Monahans script is far too wordy for its own good the uneven score (by two composers) seems to be taken over by a Michael Nyman fan at all of the ..
Birmingham Mail
3.5
Not that Wyatt doesnt get the maximum tension out of anticipating the turn of a Blackjack card.
Daily News
3.5
And its treatment of gambling is shamefulany virtues in the film are negated by a bullshit ending that everyone involved should be ashamed of.
Daily Public
4.5
A searing character study unfolding against a variety of visually captivating L.A. locales ranging from the seamy to the posh, and underscored by an a ..
Baret News Wire
1.5
Mark Wahlberg is intense and compelling... but his characters self destructive behaviour strains the viewers sympathy almost as much as it strains tha ..
Movie Talk
1.5
To its credit, the film doesnt pass judgement on him, yet it is difficult not to.
Times of Malta
3.0
The dreamlike imagery, editing, and soundtrack invoke the haze of addiction, but the writing never follows through with the message, leaving us unstir ..
3.0
An impeccably constructed genre picture. It doesnt have a whole lot to say, but its entertaining
Technology Tell
0.5
But every single scene of this film features a man treating everyone around him like dirt while pissing their money up against a wall and acting like ..
2.0
When not betting money he doesnt have or antagonising gangsters for the empty thrill of it, Jims isolating himself from family and colleagues and gene ..
The Sunday People
1.5
Mark Wahlberg deals a cool hand, but THE GAMBLER still loses big.
Central Track
4.3
It was like a feeling most children experience at Halloween; you have to finish the candy bar youve just taken a bite of, even though youre already si ..
Blood Dirtand Angels
1.5
We didnt really care enough about Jim to be invested in his ultimate fate.
See Where to Watch
The Gambler