by Daniel Brandon
From the addiction, mysticism and fortune described in Pushkin’s Queen of Spades to the banal crime in the Ocean’s Friends trilogy, gaming can be simply a symbol and, at the same time, play a key role in the development of the plot.
Everything is exactly the same as in life – for some, gaming is a turning point in fate, when it is no longer possible to imagine your life without the games presented in Let’s Lucky Casino.
But in the world of cinema, there are also many worthy examples that tell about the hidden sides of casinos and gambling, as well as real stories about gambling that changed the lives of many people.
The Gambler (1974)
A cult drama about gambling, which tells the story of literature teacher Axel Fried, who is passionate about sports betting. Having gleaned several ideas from Dostoevsky’s novel The Gambler, Fried becomes literally obsessed with his desire to make money from the game, and soon loses a fortune.
Having collected his last money, the former teacher goes to Las Vegas, wanting to get even, but there he will face even greater disappointments and blows of fate.
After a series of random events, Fried finally repays his debt, but this adventure completely changes his life. In 2014, a remake of the original film starring Mark Wahlberg was released.
Molly’s Game (2017)
A more contemporary drama based on the autobiography of businesswoman Molly Bloom, who was accused of organising illegal, high-stakes poker tournaments.
Due to a severe injury, Bloom is forced to end her skiing career, after which she accidentally ends up working in an underground casino in Los Angeles. Quickly mastering all the intricacies of the gambling business, the heroine has a row with her management and soon opens her own casino.
The price to pay for the entrepreneur’s rapid success is her conflicts with the mafia, physical violence and the seizure of all her assets. At the same time, Bloom does not reveal the names of her enemies and pleads guilty in court.
Lucky You (2007)
In this film, the story of love and difficulties in family relationships is revealed through, perhaps, the main gambling game – poker. Talented player Hack Cheever wants to get into a prestigious poker tournament, but to do this he needs to collect an unaffordable sum.
Deciding to steal from his lover and mired in debt, Cheever finally makes it to the tournament, but he faces a difficult final table game against his father. The fate of strained family relationships is decided by the final hand, in which the main character makes an unexpected decision.
Croupier (1998)
Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer who, suffering from writer’s block, takes a job as a casino dealer to support his literary ambitions. Jack watches the players with the same sense of cool detachment with which he approaches writing his novel.
He never places bets himself, but when a seductive beauty and a casino regular lure him into a dangerous but potentially profitable scam, Jack believes that fortune is on his side. Little does he know that soon the temptations of the game will captivate him much more than he could imagine.
Runner Runner (2013)
A contemporary movie focusing on the world of casinos and poker. Ritchie Furst, a student portrayed by Justin Timberlake, faces pressure to fund his education at Princeton University. To tackle this challenge he decides to bet all his savings on poker.
During a losing streak Furst uncovers irregularities in the casino’s operations and his opponents’ gaming patterns. In an attempt to recoup his losses he confronts the casinos owner, Ivan Block (played by Ben Affleck). This encounter leads to Richie Furst becoming Blocks accomplice embroiling himself in a series of schemes.
The story culminates in a showdown between Ivan and Richie as they manipulate each other leaving viewers guessing until the end, about who will emerge victorious in this high stakes game.
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What films about gambling do you know?
