These bold films confront viewers and dare to offend
Robert Altman's underrated comedy stars Elliott Gould and George Segal as a couple of gamblers who become seriously addicted to the sleazy gambling lifestyle. The screenplay was written by former actor Joseph Walsh, and it mirrored his own problems with gambling. Steven Spielberg was involved in the script's early development.
James Caan turns in a fine performance as English professor Alex Freed, whose gambling habit has left him in huge debt and in great danger as he spirals towards self-destruction.
"You're good, Kid. But as long as I'm around, you're second best." Edward G. Robinson's parting shot to a stunned Steve McQueen after he's lost a high- stakes poker game against his character, Lancey "The Man" Howard, remains one of cinema's greatest closing lines.
British director Mike Hodges perfectly captures the basement seediness of dingy casino life in this neo-noir thriller, which features a young Clive Owen as a wannabe author who finds work as a croupier (otherwise known as a dealer) to make ends meet. Owen's performance was lauded, and it helped launch his international career.
Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn star as a pair of gamblers who head to New Orleans, where a poker game is planned. The buy-in, however, is a cool US$25,000.
The underground world of high-stakes poker is caught in all its swaggering glory in John Dahl's film, starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. John Turturro and John Malkovich costar in what has become a cult classic.
Based on fact, 'Owning Mahowny' tells the story of a Canadian bank manager (Philip Seymour Hoffman) with a crippling gambling addiction whose access to a multi-million dollar account helps feed his habit. John Hurt and Minnie Driver costar.
Twenty-five years later, Newman revisited his "Fast" Eddie Felson character and pitched him against Tom Cruise's upstart pool player Vincent. Martin Scorsese directed the picture, which finally garnered Newman an Academy Award—his first Oscar win after eight nominations, seven of them for Best Actor!
Paul Newman plays small-time poolroom hustler "Fast" Eddie Felson, who gets into all sorts of trouble as he desperately tries to break into the high-stakes wagering world of professional pool.
The Black Sox scandal of 1919 remains one of American sports' darkest chapters, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox conspired with gamblers to intentionally lose that year's World Series. This engaging dramatization of events stars John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, and David Strathairn.
Veteran Hollywood heavyweight Burt Lancaster was nominated for Best Actor by the Academy for his role as old-school gangster Lou Pascal, who runs a numbers game in Atlantic City. This acclaimed film by Louis Malle features a young Susan Sarandon, who appears as a casino waitress with dreams of moving up in the world.
American mobster Bugsy Siegel handled and financed some of the first casinos in Las Vegas, and made a lot of money— and a good few enemies—along the way. Warren Beatty puts in a peerless performance as "Bugsy" in Barry Levinson's film, which is as much a chronicle about the chaotic birth of Sin City as it is Bugsy's business dealings and relationship with girlfriend Virginia Hill (Annette Bening).
Martin Scorsese's sharp focus on mob rule in Las Vegas stars Robert De Niro as a casino boss who's trying to do things the right way but is stymied big time by his emotionally unstable pal Nicky (Joe Pesci) and a wife who wants the lot without paying for it (brilliantly played by Sharon Stone).
The Molly in question is the real-life Molly Bloom (portrayed by Jessica Chastain), a former champion skier who after suffering a career-ending accident ends up fronting an underground high-stakes poker empire, which eventually catches the attention of the FBI. Idris Elba and Kevin Costner costar.
A remake of the 1960 rat-pack movie of the same name, 'Ocean's Eleven' follows a bunch of slick-talking ultra cool buddies as they plan an ambitious US$160 million Las Vegas casino heist. George Clooney steps into Frank Sinatra's shoes as Danny Ocean, who's ably assisted by a roll call of A-list Hollywood superstars.
William H. Macy turns in a sterling performance as unlucky Bernie Lootz, a "cooler," or someone cursed with astonishingly bad luck, who owes a small fortune to tough-guy casino boss Shelly (Alec Baldwin). Lootz seeks solace in the shape of cocktail waitress Natalie (Maria Bello).
Sad, sorry losers figure prominently in this list, and gambling addict Jay Trotter (Richard Dreyfuss) is up there with the worst of them in this delightful little-known comedy. But Trotter has his day when he hits on every single bet at the horse races, and suddenly has money in his pocket.
Inspired by the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team that beat the house over an astonishing 10-year run, '21' was a box-office success, but was criticized for the casting of predominantly white actors to play the roles of the real-life protagonists, the majority of whom were Asian-American.
Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, and Robert Duvall head the cast in this gambling drama, made at the height of the World Series of Poker craze and played out in (where else?) Las Vegas.
The fourth installment in 'National Lampoon's Vacation' film series, this outing sees the hapless Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) try his luck in the casinos of Vegas, only to become addicted to the tables and gambling away his family's savings.
Jame's Bond's epic, knife-edged turn at the table against Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) sees 007 attempt to bankrupt the terrorist financier by beating him hands down in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. Daniel Craig gets shaken and stirred along the way, but eventually trumps his adversary.
Translated from French as 'The Story of a Cheat,' this early gambling drama follows the exploits of a charming and debonair professional card cheat (Sacha Guitry), from childhood to manhood. He's so good he even wins a position as a croupier.
While 'Boiler Room' deals with the illegitimate goings-on in a brokerage firm headed by the unscrupulous Jim Young (Ben Affleck), the early part of the movie centers around teenage college dropout Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), who operates an unlicensed casino in his home. Greed and ambition lures him to join the firm, with disastrous results.
Sources: (AppliedBehaviorAnalysisEDU.org) (GamblingSites.com) (History)
The only time screen legends James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson ever appeared together in a movie was in this drama, which centers on a barber, Nick Venizelos (Robinson), who's running a back room poker operation on the side. Nick soon rises in the seedy world of illegal gambling. Meanwhile, his innocent shop assistant Jack (Cagney) gets suspicious and more resentful of his boss' underhand ways.
A man could get killed playing five-card stud poker, as the residents of the small town of Rincon quickly find out. But as more players are mysteriously dispatched, a Colt .45-carrying Baptist preacher comes under suspicion. Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum star, seen here with Yaphet Kotto.
Adam Sandler brought to the table a rare dramatic performance as hopeless gambling addict Howard Ratner, who is forced to retrieve a valuable gemstone he pawned in order to pay off his debts. Sandler's portrayal of the pathetic Ratner is regarded by many critics as the best of his career.
Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) meets his older brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), who's an autistic savant. Charlie soon realizes that Ray can count cards with remarkable ease. The pair head to Las Vegas and the blackjack tables, where Ray's superb recall helps the pair net a small fortune. 'Rain Man' was a commercial and critical success, and one of the biggest movies of the 1980s. Incidentally, the Ray Babbit character was based on the late Kim Peek, who was described as a "megasavant."
Paul Newman and Robert Redford plan an elaborate "sting" to bring down vicious crime boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) in this hugely entertaining caper noted for its ragtime soundtrack, featuring music by Scott Joplin.
Inspired by the James Caan classic, this 2014 remake stars Mark Wahlberg as Jim Bennet, who ends up borrowing money from his mother and a loan shark to feed his habit. Jessica Lange's performance as Jim's long-suffering mom received widespread critical acclaim.
In the late 1950s, 'Maverick' was one of the most popular television shows in the United States. Back then, James Garner portrayed poker-playing Bret Maverick. But in this big-screen Western it's Mel Gibson as the eponymous gunslinging card shark. Jodie Foster costars, as does Garner himself as marshal Zane Cooper.
Veteran movie director Don Siegal's final film, 'Jinxed!' stars Bette Mildler as Bonita Friml, a Las Vegas lounge singer who falls for Willie, an out-of-work and apparently jinxed blackjack dealer, who keeps losing the casino money. Together they plan to bump off Bonita's boorish husband.
Spin the wheel, shuffle the cards, and roll the dice. Movies that deal with the subject of gambling combine the elements of luck, risk, and chance to provide audiences with high-stakes drama where winners take all and losers stand small. But what are the best high-rolling movies on the table, and what's your odds-on favorite?
Click through and lay your bets on the following films.
Famous movies that deal with gambling
What film would you bet on?
MOVIES Betting
Spin the wheel, shuffle the cards, and roll the dice. Movies that deal with the subject of gambling combine the elements of luck, risk, and chance to provide audiences with high-stakes drama where winners take all and losers stand small. But what are the best high-rolling movies on the table, and what's your odds-on favorite?
Click through and lay your bets on the following films.