When it comes to dramatic backdrops for a film the casino is hard to beat. The combination of lavish surroundings, glamorous people, wealth and dramatic reverses of fortune for both winners and losers make them simply irresistible to film-makers and make for riveting viewing – and here are five of the very best examples.
Casino Royale
Along with the luxury hotel and behind the wheel of an Aston Martin the casino seems to be the natural habitat of James Bond whether playing baccarat or using his skills to get the better of the roulette wheel. In this, the first of the Daniel Craig era of films, we are plunged into a life or death game of poker against arch-enemy Le Chiffre. Although he’s poisoned by the villain and only survives by re-starting his own heart he goes on to win the game with a straight flush.
Ocean’s Eleven
As a remake in 2001 Ocean’s Eleven had an all-star cast to match the original Las Vegas Rat Pack including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia and Brad Pitt.
The plot revolves round a heist in which a gang plan to steal millions from the Bellagio, the MGM Grand and The Mirage Casinos. Its complex and fast moving action was a winner with cinemagoers who helped it to take over $450 million at the box office – many of whom were probably also encouraged to sample the real casino experience themselves after seeing the film.
Rounders
Three years earlier in 1998 Matt Damon was in another great casino film called Rounders. Other stars included Edward Norton and John Malkovich and in it Damon aims to play in the World Series of Poker but his plans go off the rails when he loses $30,000. He meets up with old friend Norton who also badly in debt and Damon vows to win enough to save him. To do this he takes part in tense game of No Limit Texas Hold’em and, after dramatically winning, at the end of the film we see him heading off to Vegas to realise his dream.
21
Blackjack’s the star casino/heist drama from 2008 starring Kevin Spacey. It’s based on a true story of maths students from the MIT who invented a complicated form of card counting used the system to win a fortune from Las Vegas casinos. The story involves many countless twists and double crosses along the way and in one of the most dramatic and humorous Kevin Spacey’s character is given a bag he thinks are casino chips but which are really chocolate coins.
Casino
The sort-of follow-up to Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas was Casino and included many of the same actors including including Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci. It’s another mafia film from the director and is set in the era when the mob involvement in the city was on the wane, driven out by the might of the huge corporations poised to take control of Vegas.
Run Lola Run
Roulette’s the game in this 1998 thriller from Germany in which the central character, Lola, has to raise money fast to pay off some gangsters holding her boyfriend hostage. In a super dramatic scene she bursts into a casino, puts everything she has on 20 black and . . . well you’ll have watch the film to find out what happens!