There has never been nor will there ever be a character study movie that nails the frightening, sad and destructive effects of gambling addiction like this one.
James Caan plays Axel Freed and he's in deep. To the tune of 44 grand (and this was 1974.) He makes about every bad choice one can make when sick - gets in with loan sharks, burns his parents, abuses his girlfriend (Lauren Hutton, awesome here.) And of course, borrows from one to burn another and so on it goes.
Such a great movie and cast, the real surprise performance that steals the show is the recently departed Burt Young as a collector for the mob.
About halfway thru the flick, Axel takes his girl to Las Vegas and cleans up. The iconic Ceasar's Palace ceiling is gorgeously framed and this whole sequence rocks including a quick five-liner by good ole M Emmet Walsh.
One of the greatest films of the early '70's and like a lot of movies from that time period, about as real and truthful as it gets.
Currently, The Gambler streams only on Apple TV or VOD but it's worth every penny. 4.5 stars/5
If you or anyone you know suffers from gambling addiction, there's a 24/7 hotline you can call 800-662-HELP.
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