by Adam Storeman
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)
Based on a true story, this intriguing film starts with Ungar, from humble beginnings to when he became a world-renowned name in the casinos. The mob gives him a second chance by playing in a Las Vegas rummy competition. Ungar emerges victorious, and moves onto a high-profile poker career, being the only person who’s won the World Series of Poker three times.
Ungar visited casinos and was surrounded by people watching his every move at a time when being online with an actual human dealer from the comfort of your own home wasn’t a possibility. Playing from home has become increasingly popular, allowing you to kick back and play without the pressure of all eyes on you. It also allows you to be comfortable, as you’re in familiar surroundings, yet still playing live poker as if you were physically at a casino.
Uncut Gems (2019)
A once successful New York Gems dealer, Howard Ratner, played by Adam Sandler, has a thirst for high-stakes sports betting. But with his family life and career in dire straits, he’s desperate to sort himself out. He thinks he can change this all around when he discovers a rare uncut Ethiopian Opal and an extremely wealthy buyer for it. Does this solve all his problems? You’ll have to watch this intense film that received mixed reviews to find out.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Don’t listen to the already often repeated cliché that it’s a two hour car chase. Fury Road has its ebbs and flows, a three act structure, and a storyline to be excited by and characters to care about. There is emotion, there are gargantuan stakes, and a very moving emotional connection is made between Max (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron).
Furiosa is meant to travel to Gas Town, but she has other plans. She’s stolen something very valuable to Joe and he’s pissed. A massive chase party is established and Max is used within it in a particularly ghoulish way. The stage is set, the chase is on, and 200 unique, incredible, mind-boggling vehicles careen across the desert.
The stunt work is astonishing: mind-blowing, game-changing, unbelievable. But there is so much more to the film. The depth of connection able to be achieved between the characters in the midst of all this mayhem is beautiful – as is the look of the film (the spectacular cinematography is by John Seale). It has been graded (colour corrected) phenomenally; the reds of the desert and the blues of the sky; the cast of Charlize Theron’s face; the blacks and greys of the vehicles and the bad guys – it’s a little richer and more vibrant than real life; it’s a comic book, a fantasy. It looks brilliant. – CJ Johnson
21 (2008)
A highly intelligent MIT student, Ben, is crushed when he realises he cannot fulfil his dream of getting a Harvard Scholarship to become a doctor because he can’t afford the university fees. His maths professor introduces him to a small, but select group of five students.
They win thousands in several casinos one weekend in this fact-based film. Initially, Ben only wants to make enough to cover his educational fees, but this soon changes as one of the other students predicts. This makes for a volatile situation, especially as someone’s after the professor, which threatens to spoil everything. This film is most memorable for another thing: the phrase “winner, winner, chicken dinner”. Good luck with getting it out of your head!
Three different movies about casinos that have been released in the 21st century, but all equally worthy of watching at least once. Each will take you on a different kind of ride, as their respective stories unfold. With the highs and lows, come to a lot of entertainment at the touch of your fingertips whenever the mood suits. One thing we will bet on is that you’ll be glad to have seen them when you do.
