The bright lights of Las Vegas have always been a good foil for Hollywood movies and the perfect place for background noise on the TV during a Poker night with buddies. Few places outside of Tinseltown itself inspire such vivid images or distinctive setting. Throughout film history directors have set their movies in the Nevada desert, tracking hapless gamblers, would-be robbers and lad’s weekend frolics. Even the British film industry has tried to tap into the popularity of gambling and poker with a few films of its own. Even as recently as the 21st century we’ve seen some great movies to rival the likes of 1995’s Casino, five of which we examine below.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
At the turn of the century, the bar for casino movies was set high with the remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. It’s a tale of released thief Danny Ocean’s attempt to rob a series of Las Vegas casinos with the help of 10 quick-witted associates, starring George Clooney in the title role and Brad Pitt as his right-hand man. Box Office Mojo suggests the film grossed $183M, spawning a series of sequels.
The Cooler (2003)
William H Macy and Alec Baldwin star in the story of Bernie Lootz, a reformed gambler stuck in a rut, working off a debt to a Las Vegas casino boss. Baldwin impressed, winning a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes. An article on Gold Derby ranked it as the second-best film he’d been involved in over his entire career.
Revolver (2005)
Guy Ritchie directs this smart British gambling thriller in which Jason Statham stars as Jake Green, a man out for revenge after a spell in prison. Ray Liotta also features as Dorothy, a violent casino owner who sent Green to prison in the first place. The Guardian reports that reviews at the time were not very favorable, but as time has gone by it has joined Ritchie’s other movies as an appreciated and stylish film, underappreciated at its time of release.
Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale is the first James Bond movie to star Daniel Craig and is the third cinema adaptation of Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel of the same name. Bond enters a high stakes Texas Hold’em poker game in a hotel in Montenegro with Le Chiffre, a private banker to terrorist groups, played by Mads Mikkelsen. In a tense scene set in the casino, Bond gets the better of his enemy by working out his tells to gain an advantage. The film was warmly received with review site Rotten Tomatoes rating it at 95% fresh.
Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
The gang are back together for another installment of well-scripted crime capers. This time they’re looking to gain revenge for crew member Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) after he was double-crossed in a business deal by Willy Bank, played by Al Pacino. They look to rob a casino that’s opening on the Las Vegas Strip, planning an intricate and every expanding heist featuring underground drills, rigged games and a set of priceless diamonds.
Why do you casino films remain popular?
The success of casino films is partly down to the huge rise in the popularity of poker, both at land-based casinos and in online tournaments across the world. Big wins and bright lights offer a great backdrop for Hollywood movies, and this is helping to draw in new players as a result. Record numbers of poker players are taking part in tournaments nowadays, with the World Series of Poker seeing over 8,500 entrants this year. A new record. Aside from poker being glamorized in Hollywood flicks, it is also easier than ever to learn how to play the game. It’s another reason why it has garnered such a big fan base in cinemas and away from the silver screen.
For example, partypoker’s how to play tutorials provide novice players an insight into all the different facets of the game. Once you experience the excitement of winning a poker hand and the adrenaline that comes with playing high stakes poker, then the thrilling card scenes you see in the movies won’t seem that far away after all.
What’s your favorite ever casino film? Let us know in the comments section below.
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