 |
| Image Source: Pixabay |
Many movies about gambling have been made over the decades, and the characters they contain are among the most memorable in the history of cinema.
To prove this once and for all, let’s take a look at some of the impactful personas to appear in gambling-focused films, and what makes them stand out so much.
Molly Bloom – Molly’s Game
Consistently encountered on lists of the most famous gambling scenes and movie quotes, Molly’s Game is noteworthy for being both a recent addition to the canon of casino flicks, and also for being based on a true story of its protagonist, Molly Bloom.
Played with panache by Jessica Chastain, Bloom is a former Olympic-level skier who is forced to give up her dream of athletic excellence due to a horrific injury.
Through a combination of fierce intelligence and charisma, she sets up a private poker game which attracts some of the biggest celebrities and highest rollers in America, before eventually being caught up in a scandal involving the Russian mob.
Much about the character of Molly Bloom is compelling and oddly inspirational, not least the fact that she manages to get out of underground gambling while looking like a winner.
James Bond – Casino Royale
This is a slightly cheeky inclusion in this list, yet one which is arguably well earned because of how iconic this British super-spy is in the world of cinema.
The 2006 adaptation of Ian Fleming’s 1960s novel of the same name sees Bond back to his brutal, pseudo-psychopathic best, and actor Daniel Craig manages to revamp the role with more gritty realism than his predecessor Pierce Brosnan.
Exotic locations, beautiful women, and high stakes table games are the backdrop to Bond’s exploits, and his ice-blue eyes and imposing physical presence make Casino Royale one of the best outings for this character.
Howard Ratner – Uncut Gems
Exploring the darker side of gambling, and telling one of the most tense tales ever committed to celluloid, Uncut Gems is a vehicle to display the talents of its star Adam Sandler, who is perfect for the part of sports betting addict and jeweler Howard Ratner.
Throughout the film, the audience is put through the ringer by Ratner’s cavalier decision-making, which sees him risk his family, his livelihood and his life in pursuit of one big win.
What is most incredible about Sandler’s performance is that, in spite of his celebrity, you really believe that he is the character of Ratner.
Bret Maverick – Maverick
From the high-octane intensity of Uncut Gems to the knockabout laughs of Maverick, this would make quite the double bill. And the title character of this 1994 western showcases all of the things which made Mel Gibson an A-lister back in the day.
Bret Maverick lives up to his name, being a card sharp with a silver tongue and an eye for opportunity. He’s dashing, brave, quick-witted and a hit with the ladies, making him an easy hero to root for.
Nicky Santoro – Casino
Joe Pesci is an actor who has inhabited very varied roles over his long and illustrious career. While many will know him best for comic parts in movies like My Cousin Vinny and Home Alone, others will associate him more with the unhinged gangsters he has played in several Martin Scorsese pictures.
Perhaps the most petrifying of the bunch is Nicky Santoro, a quick-to-anger player in the mafia who makes Las Vegas his own personal playground, much to the chagrin of friend and business partner Sam Rothstein, played by Robert De Niro.
Pesci’s character in Casino is truly terrifying, seeming to sit on that knife edge between calm and chaos, and packing the potential to explode at any moment without warning. This is amplified further by his small stature, which emphasizes the pent-up energy and subverts expectations.
Ben Sanderson – Leaving Las Vegas
It would be churlish to overlook the Oscar-winning performance put in by Nicolas Cage in this gut-wrenching yet important 1995 drama.
Sanderson, like Molly Bloom, is an almost autobiographical character, based in this case on the tragic life of the movie’s screenwriter John O’Brien.
Cage may have become something of a meme in the past couple of decades, but this is a film and a character which cements his acting abilities and legitimizes his status as a skilled thespian.
We really feel for Sanderson as he flits through the bright lights of Vegas on a journey of self-destruction, and there is humanity and love in among the heartache.