The Gambler

Jim Bennett should have listened to Kenny Rogers. Unfortunately, the lead character in The Gambler doesn’t know when to hold ’em or when to fold ’em, which leads to his downfall, and essentially that of the film as well.

This remake of the 1974 crime thriller — loosely based on a Dostoyevsky novel — puts Mark Wahlberg in the James Caan role as the gambling addict whose debts continue to mount. Yet the film as a whole doesn’t do much to separate itself from the superior source material despite some intermittent intrigue.

Set in Los Angeles, the story introduces Jim as a slick-talking English professor whose life outside the classroom is filled with personal demons. Still mourning the death of his father (George Kennedy) and recalling his personal failures, Jim hits the underground gambling circuit but spends with reckless abandon, and before long runs up a $240,000 bill that he’s given a week to pay.

His nonchalant attitude leads him to a loan shark (Michael Kenneth Williams) who quickly turns from ally to adversary, and to the doorstep of his wealthy mother (Jessica Lange), whose attempt to help Jim get out of trouble is fruitless. He reluctantly finds companionship in a high-achieving student (Brie Larson) who seems drawn more to watching Jim destroy himself than find redemption.

The screenplay by Oscar-winner William Monahan (The Departed) showcases some sharp dialogue and knows its way around a casino floor, from the terminology to the major players in any gambling outfit. The sequences at the blackjack table or the roulette wheel crackle with authenticity.

Yet this is a character study at its core, and while Jim’s compulsions are fascinating from a distance, his relentless arrogance and misanthropy make it difficult to invest much emotion in his plight. His downward spiral is more pitiful than anything else. That’s not to detract from Wahlberg’s performance, which has plenty of charisma, especially in the surprisingly potent classroom lecture scenes.

Despite some nice visual touches from director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), the film loses its way in the second half with an aimless subplot involving a star basketball player (Anthony Kelley) who gets roped into one of Jim’s shady schemes.

So while its protagonist goes all-in, The Gambler seems content to bluff.

Rated R, 111 minutes.