The Gambler
The only way out is all in
The only way out is all in
Crime, Drama, Thriller
-
2014
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Literature professor Jim Bennett leads a secret life as a high-stakes gambler. Always a risk-taker, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster and offers his own life as collateral. Staying one step ahead, he pits his creditor against the operator of an illicit gambling ring while garnering the attention of Frank, a paternalistic loan shark. As his relationship with a student deepens, Bennett must risk everything for a second chance.
Director:
Cast:
Same Director
Details
Rated:
R
Runtime:
111 min
Release date:
25 Dec 2014
Country:
US
Languages:
English
Budget:
$25,000,000
Revenue:
$39,171,130
Awards:
1 win & 3 nominations.
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
An agreeable if ridiculous slice of old-school Hollywood machismo ...
– Andrew O'Hehir,
Salon.com,
26 Dec 2014
fresh:
As The Gambler becomes less about its protagonist's dashed intellectualism and more about the gathering danger of his predicament, the film gains power.
– Bilge Ebiri,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
27 Dec 2014
rotten:
The hopeful ending comes off as too little, too late. Wahlberg gives the role his all, but sticking with him is a futile gesture. The Gambler never pays off. It's a sucker's bet.
– Peter Travers,
Rolling Stone,
30 Dec 2014
rotten:
Though Wahlberg is a fine actor, there's no way I can buy him as a college English professor holding forth on Shakespeare and Camus.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
7 Jan 2015
rotten:
The dialogue never leaves the surface and the running across Los Angeles that happens in the last sequence is supposed to thrill you, but it's such a cliche that your embarrassment extends to the crew member who has to follow with the camera.
– Wesley Morris,
Grantland,
9 Jan 2015