The story about the world of gambling is always a good story. Therefore, it is no wonder that casinos and gambling have been repeatedly used in the cinematic world as the popular themes for movies. The shiny lights of the casinos, the colorful slot machines, the thrill of sitting at the poker table and rolling a dice – all of them evoke the special set of emotions in people.
Whether you’re a passionate gambler looking for some adrenaline high, or you just want to try your luck in Vegas, you can experience the thrill of a gambling life by watching the actors in their casino roles on the big screen. Hereby, we present you with a list of our choice of the best casino movies of all times, and all you have to do is turn on your TV and enjoy the show.
- Casino (1995)
The plot of the Casino revolves around two best friends, mobsters, Same ‘Ace’ Rothenstien and Nicky Santoro, and it tells a story about their war over a mafia empire. Ace is portrayed by Robert De Niro, in his probably the best role ever, and Lefty is portrayed by the brilliant Joe Pesci, famous for his mobster roles. Alongside these two movie icons, the ‘hot call girl’ is portrayed by Sharon Stone, in the role of Ginger McKenna. The movie is based on a book by Nicholas Pileggi, directed by the ingenious Martin Scorsese.
The first movie of American director Paul Thomas Anderson, featuring big Hollywood names: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L.Jackson. The plot revolves around a professional gambler, Sydney, who meets John, a man with no luck. He decides to teach him everything he knows, and as a result, John becomes a pro himself. However, things start to change when John meets a cocktail waitress, Clementine.
- Rounders (1998)
A passionate gambler in real life, Matt Damon portrays the role of a rehabilitated gambler, Mike McDermott, who uses his brain and training to be the best at poker. Although Mike has quit gambling for good, he is returning to the poker table one more time, to help his best friend, Lester Murphy, portrayed by Edward Norton. Directed by John Dahl, this movie provides a realistic story about the underground poker world.
- Casino Royale (2006)
The glorious secret agent James Bond, this time portrayed by the British actor Daniel Krieg, is once again on a dangerous mission. This time, he discovers that a financier of a terrorist organization is planning to manipulate a certain poker game, so he joins him at the poker table of Casino Royale in order to break his plan. The movie is filled with powerful action scenes, the ones which only a 007 agent can survive without a scratch. The film was directed by Martin Campbell, and the main plot setting is in Montenegro.
Mark Wahlberg, the popular action hero, this time portrays the character of a professor of literature, Jim Bennet, who struggles with a gambling addiction. Due to his guilty pleasure, he ends up owning a lot of money to a dangerous man. The plot of the movie depicts Jim’s struggle to collect enough money to pay off the debt to the ower of the casino. One of his students, Amy, portrayed by Brie Larson, offers to help him out.