by Brendan Corletti
The plot associated with gambling, always contains unexpected twists and turns that take the viewer by surprise. Another feature is the contradictory nature of the main characters. Bad guys often evoke sympathy from film critics.
The best casinos in Australia also do not miss thematic novelties of the film industry. Today, many producers use an unusual marketing move. Marketers order the development of slots based on a new film and, in this way, attract the attention of not only ordinary film buffs but also professionals in the gambling industry. Today, we will look at four films about casinos and gambling.
The Card Counter, 2021
The premiere of the film at the 78th Venice Film Festival in September 2021 immediately caused a stir. One of the producers of the project was Martin Scorsese, and this guaranteed the presence of interesting plot entanglements.
The protagonist of the film, William, decides to start a new chapter in his life. He is tired of leading an unsightly life interrupted by cheap earnings. William begins to learn the basics of poker in his spare time. At first, the protagonist does it alone and then begins to participate in local tournaments.
The secret to success in card games is equanimity and complete calmness. William manages to perfectly master these skills. His opponents are perplexed. The unknown newcomer wins tournament after tournament and easily beats more experienced competitors. In addition, the player has mastered the skill of bluffing and comes out victorious even in games where he has no chance of success.
The new poker star does not want to be satisfied with local successes. William aims to take part in the World Series of Poker. It seems that the protagonist has one step left to make on the way to his dream and multi-million-dollar winnings. However, at this moment, the secrets of the dark past break into the plot. Now William is no longer playing only for money but also for his own safety.
Wild Card, 2015
The makers of the film tried to remake a 1986 cult film called Heat. Judging by the ratings, director Simon West, screenwriter William Goldman, and the performer of the main role, Jason Statham, managed to surprise critics.
The authors build a plot around the life of the not-the-most-successful Nick Wilde. The main character cannot find himself in society. He lives as a loner and part-time bodyguard at one of the gambling clubs in Las Vegas. Wilde wants to save money and go live in Corsica forever.
Nick’s main problem becomes an attachment to gambling. Wild spends his free time at the table with poker and blackjack. Sometimes luck accompanies the protagonist, and he has solid cash on his hands, but at the same moment, greed takes over. Wild continues the game, goes to the bank, and again will be left with zero.
Nick has a friend, Holly, whose appearance changes the plot. A young girl has been raped by one of the local gangsters and asks for help. Wilde agrees to help his mate and is drawn into a dangerous game, connected not only with money, but also with the risk of death.
Killing Them Softly, 2012
The film is based on the novel The Craft of Cogan by George Hinggins. The plot tells about underground gambling clubs. Local mobsters gather at poker tables every week and easily spend tens of thousands of dollars in the heat of passion. One of the film’s heroes decides to rob such a poker club. He has done it before and remained unpunished. The swindler wants to pull off a profitable adventure again.
Another robbery is successful. Each participant in the raid takes a substantial sum. But the robbers did not take into account the main thing. Mafia bosses will not leave the repeated daring attack without attention for the second time in a row.
Jackie Cogan, the second protagonist, comes to town. He is an experienced gangster who is used to solving problems by force. Cogan begins a search for conspirators, and a civil war breaks out within the mafia clan.
Croupier, 1998
This neo-noir film will be interesting for fans of non-standard cinema. Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer. Like any author without a big name, Jack has a catastrophic lack of money for existence. Manfred gets a job as a croupier in a local casino with the support of his father.
The authors of the film divide the plot into several parts:
- At first, Jack does not like his new position. He sees how casino employees cheat customers and violate the established rules.
- Gradually, Manfred is drawn into the work team and begins to break the regulations himself. He makes friends with other croupiers and has an affair with Bella, although his fiancée is waiting for him at home.
- One day, Jack meets Jani. A charismatic girl enters into the trust of sentimental Jack and offers him to take part in the scam. Manfred falls into yet another romantic entanglement. However, he does not know that a deep disappointment awaits him.
- The casino robbery ends in failure, and Jack receives a severe beating. A few days later, he learns that his fiancée has been murdered, and the organiser of the whole scam was his father.
The cyclical plot is accompanied by a thematic soundtrack and a noir atmosphere. All this seems to emphasise the hopelessness that desperate gamblers often face.
Casino films often resemble action films. Guns, murders, and scams accompany the main characters. But the screenwriters put drama at the centre of the plot. Each protagonist has a difficult fate and seeks happiness, but finds himself at the centre of another maelstrom of failures. This interweaving of personal tragedy and crime makes the plot unpredictable.
A happy ending is not a gambling film. The viewer initially saw before him a negative hero but gradually began to empathise with his difficult story. That is why many of these films were highly appreciated by critics.
