Directed by:
Rupert WyattScreenplay:
William MonahanCinematography:
Greig FraserComposer:
Theo GreenCast:
Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Michael Kenneth Williams, Sonya Walger, Emory Cohen, Richard Schiff, Leland Orser, George Kennedy (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett’s future. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (5)
I still can’t decide if this movie was about gambling or self-destruction… because, no, it isn’t the same thing. The story has a classic structure, but Wyatt intentionally doesn’t give quite enough information (artificially creating a snare), so it automatically seems better than it is in reality, but it works. Brie Larson looks fantastic here.
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The movie is too weird to be truly great, and it has too strange of an ending to truly impress you. Mark Wahlberg delivers a very good performance, and at least in part, it's an excellent example of how a person can be self-destructive to the point of destroying those close to them. Sometimes it's too late when the person realizes this. And sometimes there's still hope.
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Nihilism as a cure for an existential crisis is not something you see every day from the overseas film hegemony. This film is not about gambling, but about freedom from responsibility, about realizing the non-existence of everything that defines a person. Of course, then the girl crashes the party, but there's nothing you can do about that, plus Me + Brie Larson = VSL
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A difficult spectacle where the main hero doesn't appreciate anything or anyone, least of all himself. Perhaps every crossroads he comes across ends with him making the wrong decision, and he completely misjudges the situation even at the most crucial moments. However, all of his escapades are filmed so provocatively and dynamically that anyone who even sticks their head into the cinema will be nervously tapping their foot and waiting to see what other mess Mark Wahlberg will get his head into. Many thanks for the fantastic soundtrack and for the fact that in Jim's eyes, Brie Larson is the golden compass.
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I was expecting the film to spend more time in the casino and gambling, but the film is more about Mark Wahlberg's life and his self destruction. Wahlberg was good for his role, I liked him as always, but the film lacks juice, which is a shame. But the film is watchable, not boring and interesting. 60%.
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