An exhilarating and disturbing portrayal of an addict, The Gambler is possibly one of James Caan’s finest performances.
Caan plays Axel Freed, teaching literature during the day and likes a flutter at night. Well, more than a flutter, as he’s racked up $44.000 in debt in one night on the tables. The heavies he owes the money to are not the type to accept a few quid a week, either. Axel has big problems, and, surprisingly, getting the money to pay them back isn’t the biggest. Even after borrowing the full amount from his mother, he’s compelled to head to Vegas and squander it again.
Directed by Karel Reisz (Night Must Fall, 1964), The Gambler isn’t just a portrait of a man crippled by his compulsion to squander money, as Axel is addicted to losing and the danger that provides probably more than winning. It’s not even about the money for him, as we see him bet $20 against 50 cents in a game of one-on-one basketball with some street kids. The film works in a similar way to Uncut Gems, as it has us rooting for Axel, but while we were with Adam Sandler’s character all the way in the brilliant 2019 film, in The Gambler, our patience with Axel wears thin. Every time he has the money to avoid serious harm, another bet comes along, allowing him to grasp defeat from the jaws of success. The frustration we might feel doesn’t lessen how great the film is, however. Even knowing the stakes, the tension during some of the scenes is palpable. Axel knows his fate isn’t a good one but still pushes for one more roll of the dice.
A superb host of character actors backs up Caan. Lauren Hutten plays his long-suffering girlfriend, and Paul Sorvino is wonderfully typecast as the heavy to whom he owes money and Burt Young as his go-between. There’s also blink-and-you’ll-miss-them appearances from M. Emmet Walsh, James Woods, and Antonio Fargas (another typecast, but equally brilliant).
Imprint’s Blu-ray is as stacked as we’ve come to expect from the Australian boutique label. Each feature adds valuable context to the film and the work of director Karel Reisz. The film itself was remade in 2014 with Mark Wahlberg, but nothing comes close to Caan in the original.
