Casino films, which have captivated audiences for decades, have an intrinsic drama since they are, by definition, about danger. It’s not pleasant to see someone be wise and careful, but it’s even more entertaining to witness someone repeatedly putting his life on the line with the goal of making a big score, right? Although some of us may not be able to go to casinos due to the pandemic, there’s an array of online casinos that tick all the boxes. You can find the very best the web and mobile have to offer at CasinoRange which provides a comprehensive guide and review system for all your needs.
21 (2008)
Based on the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team, a group of students and ex-students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used card counting techniques and more sophisticated strategies to beat the house for nearly a decade. 21 adapts an intriguing math and business narrative into a heist film starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Jacob Pitts, and Josh Gad as a group of con artists attempting to defraud Kevin Spacey. Spacey is notably off-kilter here, and the film has been chastised for “whitewashing” the ensemble by portraying the largely Asian-American real-life characters as Caucasians. But it’s an interesting look at the physics underlying clever gambling for a brief moment before Spacey is kidnapped and abused in a hotel room.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Characters that gamble in movies are frequently presented as depressing cautionary tales. Nobody told Steven Soderbergh, who transformed the sluggish Rat Pack caper into a jazzy, fast-paced romp. It’s evident from the first shot, as George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s ultra-cool characters square off at the card table, that this Ocean’s Eleven would emanate the sleek, cocky ethos of modern Vegas, which is all premium adult pleasures and very little actual bad behaviour. Soderbergh’s attire is immaculately designed and unfussy, exuding the swagger that only true gamblers possess. The filmmaker is uninterested in gambling’s complexities, and the movie is focused on a ‘heist’ and bringing together a team of star-studded Hollywood A-listers.
Molly’s Game (2017)
Academy award-winning director Aaron Sorkin brings us a Netflix cult classic. Molly’s Game is based on the book of Molly Bloom, a former champion skier who switches jobs after a tragic accident and enters the underground poker world. Molly, played by Jessica Chastain, as fearless as a coiled cobra, leading us through this illegal but incredibly addicting and lucrative environment as she rises to become the queen of high-stakes gaming. You feel Molly’s rush, and you meet some truly heartbreaking characters, including Bill Camp’s hopeless gambler, in this thriller that is far too proud of its cleverness. Still, you feel Molly’s rush, and you meet some truly heartbreaking characters.
Rounders (1998)
For gamblers, it’s been dubbed “Citizen Kane,” but it’s OK for everyone else. That elevates it to a position higher on this list than practically any other. Nonetheless, it does a fantastic job of conveying the swaggering, dopey masculinity of professional poker players. With a cast featuring the likes of John Malkovich, John Turturro, Martin Landau and Famke Janssen, it’s hard to complain. The movie does a great job of populating this world with characters who make it feel real and lived-in.
Casino (1995)
Want to understand the inner workings of Vegas gambling? Martin Scorsese’s intricate drama is for you, chronicling Sin City’s evolution from seedy to sanitised over several years. As he did previously with the critically acclaimed movie ‘GoodFellas’ Scorsese understands how American enterprise works in the criminal underworld and how individuals get trampled on along the way. Starring the legendary Robert De Niro, Casino is a mob movie lovers dream. Playing the slick, respectable character Ace, a gangster running a mobbed-up casino who’s trying to do things “the right way,” only to be undercut by his hotheaded pal (Joe Pesci) and an ambitious woman (Sharon Stone), he shouldn’t trust.