3) The Gambler (2014)
Based on the 1974 drama directed by Karel Resiz, Rupert Wyatt’s remake of The Gambler is startlingly similar to the figure of a real-life gambling addict: scattered, desperate, and ultimately rather unpleasant to be around. All over the place from start to finish, Wyatt is unable to make any sense of William Monahan’s lousy script, and the film falters as a movie of its own, never mind as a remake.
Even if the rest of The Gambler had somehow succeeded, the movie would still be unwatchable thanks to its repellent lead character. Mark Whalberg can be charming, but here he attempts to chew the scenery and gets left with his teeth stuck in the set. Perhaps someone could have made the insufferable lead character of Jim Bennett an interesting watch, but it’s not Whalberg. When you’re desperate for the protagonist to get off the screen, chances are that the film is a failure.
There’s a compelling story to be told about an existentialist gambler whose compulsive behaviour controls his life. But it’s already been told way back in 1974. James Caan is a much more complex Jim Bennett; a man who was far from a saint but was still a character you could place some emotional investment in.
The original was a pure classic, arguably equivalent to a pair of Kings in Blackjack terms. I guess it’d be in the nature of the movie’s protagonist to gamble on this hand, but there was absolutely no need for Monahan and Wyatt to do it. The result is a pointless bust. You should always stick with a good hand when you have one.
