by Argento Lopez
1. Molly’s Game (2017)
Released in 2017, Molly’s Game is one of the most recent gambling, and casino films released that is based on a true story. It recounts the astonishing revelations made in Molly’s Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World by Molly Bloom. Borrowing from Bloom’s autobiography, the film follows Bloom through hotel suites in New York City as she fixes high-stakes poker games. The film is very careful not to mention the A-list celebrities that are drawn to these illegal games, but a keen viewer can draw their conclusions.
2. Broke (2016)
Broke is a sporting-themed movie released in 2016 about the match-fixing scandals that shook Australian rugby league in the early 2000s. The film retells the story of BK (Steve Le Marquand), a disgraced footy star that is kicked off the team for being involved in a match-fixing scheme and turns to alcoholism. In the movie, a broke and passed-out BK is discovered by Cec (Max Cullen), an ex-fan of his. Cec and his daughter (Claire Van der Boom) help BK dust himself off, kick his addiction, and salvage his reputation in his hometown. For his work on Broke, Heath Davis, the writer, won the best screenplay award at the SENE Film, Music, and Art Festival in 2016. The film has also won numerous awards for its producer Luke Graham, whose father is legendary football player Mark Graham.
Broke sheds light on Australia’s long-standing relationship with sports and casino gambling. The match-fixing scandal of the early 2000s wreaked havoc on the gambling industry in the country, but it has since rebounded with developments like online gaming and live online casinos.
3. 21 (2008)
Based on Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich, 21 was released in 2008 to a lot of excitement and speculation. The book was made to read like fiction, but this is believed to have been done for legal reasons because the events narrated actually happened. 21 follows a young MIT student, his math professors, and fellow students as they use card counting techniques to defraud casinos in Las Vegas.
Kevin Spacey plays the brilliant math professor Micky Rosa who hatches the plan, while Jim Sturgess plays Ben Campbell, the MIT student. The movie’s makers are very deliberate in combining fact and fiction in just the right amounts so that the film is highly intriguing without deviating too far from the events of the book. Featuring an impeccable cast, 21 is a must-watch for gambling fans.
4. High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)
If you are a poker aficionado or avid player, you may have heard the name, Stu Ungar. Ungar won the World Series of Poker’s Main Event a record-breaking three times and is considered one of the most gifted poker players of all time. Although his awe-inspiring achievements and talent would make a great movie on their own, High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story is about way more than Ungar’s poker prowess.
The 2003 film takes a deeper look into the dark life of Stu Ungar. When he was not winning poker championships, Ungar had his toes in every vice imaginable, from illegal raves and alcohol to drug use. The star lived fast and dangerously, dying young and leaving behind an undisputed legend. Kid Poker, as he was affectionately called, went through exciting highs and scary lows, and all of them are laid bare in this film by A.W Vidmer. Michael Imperioli plays Stu Ungar.
5. Casino (1995)
Casino is a Martin Scorsese film, so you already know it is good. The 1995 release takes a fictionalised approach to the story of Anthony Spilotro, the Chicago mobster and true-life casino executive Franky ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal. During the ’70s, Rosenthal ran four illegal casinos, operating without a license. He was also involved in the Vegas criminal underworld through Spilotro, his childhood friend. The characters’ names are changed in the movie to Nicky Santoro and Sam Rothstein, and some of the accounts are fictionalised. Still, the story maintains many elements of the real story.
Conclusion
Gambling holds a central position in pop culture, with almost every movie released involving a mention of Las Vegas or some form of gaming. The fact that it is associated with risk makes gambling near irresistible to movie writers, producers, and fans. However, nothing beats the real thing.
