Movies are relatable because they draw inspiration from real life. Casinos are also a part of our daily lives, and they have been featured in quite a number of movies. However, the cinema has depicted this industry in different ways, and this guide will highlight some of them.
Casino Royale
This 2006 film is a part of the James Bond franchise. It stars Daniel Craig and was directed by Martin Campbell. The film is based on a 1953 novel by Ian Fleming. The film begins with Bond’s mission to bankrupt a terrorism financier in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro.
James Bond enters the high-stakes poker tournament, portraying casinos as a mix of luxury and tension. Luckily, Bond succeeds in winning the tournament and taking $115 million.
This isn’t the first Casino Royale movie. In fact, there was one released in 1967 with a similar storyline. That story also showed the glamour and extravagance associated with the casino lifestyle. Some games showcased in the movie can be found on New Online Casinos Australia. Let’s get into another casino-themed movie.
Ocean’s Eleven
This 2001 movie revolves around Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney. Ocean plans a heist involving three casinos in Las Vegas: the Mirage, the Bellagio, and the MGM Grand. He works with a couple of friends who double as specialists to steal $160 million from the casino owners.
The movie depicted casinos in a rich and thrilling manner and showed the glamorous lifestyle of Las Vegas. Besides the glamor, we also see the high-stakes gambling and risks involved in gambling. Many critics believe the film showcased a balance of casino gambling.
Rounders
This 1998 drama was directed by John Dahl. The movie starred Edward Norton and Matt Damon and revolved around a New York City law student who also doubled as a gifted poker player. Now, he had dreams of winning the World Series of Poker, but he lost his entire life savings of $30,000 in a single hand at an underground Texas ring.
So he promises his girlfriend that he’s going to quit gambling, but he doesn’t when his friend comes back from prison, and he has to pay an old debt. He goes back to playing high-stakes poker to try to win the money. With a little bit of cheating, he makes an attempt to beat the Russian in a poker game and win money to clear his debts.
While the two previous entries showcased the luxurious aspect of casinos, this one focuses on the high stakes and risks of playing casino games. It also shows the conflict and suspense of making risky decisions.
The Cincinnati Kid
This 1965 drama follows a young man named Eric. Eric was a poker player who wanted to make a name for himself as the best ever poker player. Then, he meets Lancey, an older poker player who already has the title. Soon, the two compete for the title in the poker game.
This high-stakes game was going to change things for Eric and establish his reputation as the best poker player. Well, soon, Eric discovers that the game is fixed. While this movie focuses on the risk that follows casino games, it is set in the 1930s in New Orleans, when casinos did not exist as we know them today.
Still, it managed to capture the atmosphere of casino gambling through the tension of the games. Also, the portrayal of the characters gives viewers an idea of how things worked at the time.
Uncut Gems
The 2019 crime thriller follows Howard Ratner played by Adam Sandler, a jeweler in New York City, who makes the highest-stakes bet to retrieve an expensive gem. Howard is deep in debt and must retrieve that gem to pay his creditors.
Set in 2012, Howard was an extreme gambling addict and owed bookies money. He tried to pay off his debts by making new bets, but this only pushed him further into debt. After some time, he received an uncut opal valued at $1 million and planned to sell it during an auction.
The movie portrays gambling as a high-pressure game that can lead to a long list of bad decisions.
Owning Mahowny
This 2003 film follows the story of Dan Mahowny, who works as an assistant manager in a bank in Toronto. Dan was hard-working and dedicated but had a secret gambling addiction. The addiction would push Dan to embezzle money from his place of work to fund his habit.
During the movie, he could be spotted at Atlantic City, a casino where he gambles and amasses large debts. Soon, he could no longer hide his financial crimes as the Toronto police caught on to him.
The movie depicted casinos as a place that exploits gambling addictions. It also shows the glamorous and seductive nature of casino gambling, especially considering how Mahowny was treated by the casino staff.
Mississippi Grind
This 2015 film follows Gerry and Curtis, two gamblers, as they travel down the Mississippi River in search of a high-stakes poker game. The pair met at a casino in Iowa and bonded over their shared love of gambling. Then, they decide to go to New Orleans and win a legendary poker game.
On their way, things get bad, and they land in more financial trouble. They try to win big at different gambling venues but fail woefully. The movie depicted casinos in different settings, showing both the glamorous and the less glamorous sides. Another focus of this movie was to show the social impact that gambling had on the characters.
Other Depictions of Casinos in Cinema
Casinos make for excellent cinematography. The colors and ambiance stand out, among other aspects. Regardless, the movies still manage to discuss societal issues such as addiction and corruption. Most of the movies cover a mix of the glamor and the downsides of gambling. In many cases, the casinos are not the center of attention in the movies but feature in subplots.
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