Top Three Gambling Movies
Here are our picks for the top three gambling movies for today.Welcome to my page of the latest Feature Movie Reviews. This page will be constantly updated with three new movie descriptions for those of you who don't really know where to start when looking for a gambling movie. Here, you'll find three great gambling movies, picked from the extensive list of gambling movies on this site. Hopefully this short list will at least give you at starting point if you want to watch a gambling movie. On the other hand, you might just be looking for a new gambling movie to watch, and this page might just give you the title of one you've never watched before. Or you saw it long ago, and have forgotten about it until now, that is. So have a look at this list of gambling movies, and if you have a gambling movie in mind that you think should be featured on this page. I'll definitely take your suggestion into account when I'm renewing the information on this page. Enjoy!
| Croupier - 1998 | |
 | "You have to make the choice in life: be a gambler or a croupier, and then live with your decision," says Jack Manfred, the writer/croupier in director Mike Hodges' (Get Carter) terrific film noir-ish character study that gives us a peek at the London gambling scene. There's no flashing neon, Elvis impersonator or choreographed water fountain in the high-roller casino where unsuccessful author Jack (Owen) toils. In fact, with its mirrored walls, cheesy carpeting and outdated furniture, this joint looks more like a New Jersey wedding reception hall than a typical casino. But the lure of the lifestyle is the same, and despite Jack's choice to stick with dealing blackjack and other card games and steer clear of gambling beyond his job, life deals him another hand. Jack's voiceover--usually an annoying movie device that's actually very effective here--reveals much more than his steely outward demeanor does, including his plans to turn his experiences at the casino into a book that eventually becomes a best seller. He also begins to immerse himself into his book's plot, to the point of losing his girlfriend, breaking the workplace rules against sleeping with co-workers and fraternizing with the patrons, and gambling himself. Just as Jack's casino is not the flashing gambling hole we're used to seeing on the big screen, Croupier is not the flashy gambling thriller we're used to seeing on the big screen. And that's a good thing. The jackpot scene: Jack's croupier audition. In one slick scene, he deftly and quickly separates a pile of casino chips and susses out the fact that his boss can't count while showing his own card dealing proficiency. It's quietly exciting in the movie's trademark understated tone. |
| The Gambler - 1997 | |
 | Inspired both by the Dostoevsky novel THE GAMBLER and the events that inspired it, Karoly Makk's THE GAMBLER is a fascinating blend of fact and fiction that illuminates the gray area between the artist and his art. Michael Gambon stars as Dostoevsky, a passionate man whose addiction to gambling has left him penniless. When his publisher agrees to take on his debts, Dostoevsky signs a contract stating that he will produce a new novel within 27 days or he will turn over the rights to all his future work. Desperate to make the deadline, Dostoevsky hires a young stenographer, Anna, to take dictation for him. As he feverishly dictates the account of a gambler and his stormy love life, the film inter cuts both the fictional scenes being dictated as well as events from Dostoevsky's and Anna's lives that closely parallel the events of the novel. THE GAMBLER is both a riveting blend of Dostoevsky's real and imagined lives, bolstered by a star turn from Mr. Gambon as well as Luise Rainer's first screen appearance in 55 years. |
| Howard Lederer - Secrets of Texas Limit Hold 'Em - 2005 | |
 | Widely recognized as the world's greatest player of no-limit Texas Hold 'Em, it is often forgotten that Howard Lederer, the "Poker Professor," also excels in Texas Limit Hold 'Em. Here, he shares some of his secrets with aspiring players, explaining the methods by which, with hard work, dedication, and passion, it is possible to master this challenging and rewarding game. The poker craze sweeping the nation signifies that Americans are waking up to the possibilities of poker, and it is now crucial to work hard in order to beat the ever-increasing competition. But with the world's most successful poker player on your side, true excellence in the game becomes attainable. |