There have been myriad movies about gambling, gamblers and the fool’s paradise that is Vegas. In many cases, the protagonist comes away with a valuable life lesson, generally along the lines of “stop while you’re ahead” or “you can get away with murder in this godless place.”But there are other, equally valuable lessons to be learned, and we have culled some from our favourite movies set in or around the world of gambling.
‘Casino‘
In this great, atmospheric Scorsese movie, Robert De Niro plays a mob-connected casino operator in Vegas who attempts to play by the “rules” while staying in business. Complications ensue when he falls in love with an unstable gold-digger (Sharon Stone).
Lesson: If you’re a Vegas boss who doesn’t like trouble, don’t keep in touch with your crazy childhood friend, especially if he’s played by Joe Pesci. Also, don’t marry an ex-hooker.
‘Rounders’
A brilliant poker player/law student (Matt Damon) loses his life savings to a sleazy club owner (John Malkovich, with a bad Russian accent) in a high-stakes game; he gives up the cards only to be sucked in again by an ex-con friend (Edward Norton) with a big gambling debt.
Lesson: If you’ve sworn off gambling and are trying to keep on the straight and narrow, don’t reconnect with an old pal who’s just sprung from prison, especially if his name is Worm. Unless you’re Matt Damon, in which case it’ll probably work out OK.
’21‘
Based on the true story of six MIT students who use their math skills to shake down Vegas, ’21’ stars Jim Sturgess as an ambitious but tuition-strapped student recruited into an odds-beating posse of blackjack whizzes by an unscrupulous professor.
Lesson: If you really want to get into Harvard Medical School, be prepared to cheat. Big-time. And don’t trust slick, seductive professors, especially if they’re played by Kevin Spacey.
‘The Gambler‘
In this taut, no-frills character study, a charismatic college professor (James Caan) cannot stop betting on stuff, even after hitting up his mother, grandfather and girlfriend for cash, and getting menaced by nefarious collectors.
Lesson: Don’t gamble. But if you must and it’s 1974, sport a stylish ‘fro while doing it.
‘Lucky You‘
Curtis Hanson‘s drama stars Eric Bana as a troubled but gifted poker player with father issues who meets an aspiring Vegas singer (Drew Barrymore) with the patience of a saint. Can he face down his legendary poker-champ/ex-professor dad (Robert Duvall) in the World Series of Poker and maintain a romantic relationship?
Lesson: Sometimes you have to lose to win. And leads with zero chemistry shouldn’t star in a romantic drama.
‘What Happens in Vegas‘
Two strangers (Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz) find themselves married after a wild night in Vegas. They agree to divorce, but then he wins $3 million at a slot machine. All sorts of dopey shenanigans, including love, ensue.
Lesson: In a world where Cameron Diaz is a high-powered Wall Street trader, anything is possible.
