Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

blueskysattv Spoiler alert So for the ending that confuses people; Axel has just lost his last shred of character and any sense of ethics by corrupting his student basketball player to get out of his jam. He has absolutely nothing left of value and no reason to live, he has proved himself to be the true coward he has always known himself to be. On a death wish he goes into the ghetto looking for trouble, which he finds with the pimp and prostitute. After goading the pimp into killing him fails, he takes his anger and hatred for himself out on the pimp, and the only thing that stops him from beating the pimp to death is the prostitute's knife. His face sliced open, he staggers down the stairs and looks into the mirror with a smile, as while he wasn't killed at least he has been permanently disfigured. This film is all about self hatred - gambling is just a symptom of what is really going on with Axel.

jtncsmistad James Caan is Axel Freed, a gambling addict hell-bent on self-destruction in the gritty 1974 crime drama "The Gambler".A college literature professor by day, Axel wages a vicious war with himself off campus during his off hours, shattering the limits of both underground and legit wagers. Axel knows full well that the odds against him are recklessly daunting. Dangerously so. Nevertheless, we come to learn that this is a deeply troubled soul, and a guy who has long since succumbed to a ceaseless struggle to quench an insatiable thirst for "the juice" which betting has insidiously inflicted.James Caan is the man. "The Gambler" is one among a string of classic movies the iconic actor starred in during the '70's ranging from "Brian's Song" to the first two installments of the "The Godfather" saga. Caan's portrayal of Axel is a searingly wrenching performance. He gives us a confoundingly complicated man, one blessed with abundant intelligence and charm yet powerless to break free from the vise grip his all consuming vice has on his rapidly unraveling life.The supporting cast is stellar. Paul Sorvino is perfection as an illegal gambling boss who reveals that he has at least a semblance of a heart. Lauren Hutton is underdeveloped as Axel's conflicted girlfriend, though she does have a compelling scene in a Vegas hotel room toward the end of the film that emotionally foreshadows the grim fate destined to befall her beau. Jacqueline Brookes makes her own indelible impression as Axel's heartbroken and exploited mother. And Burt Young impresses during his brief but explosive appearance as a wise guy enforcer only a couple of years shy of his career blasting off with the continuing role of Paulie in the first of the "Rocky" films franchise.While Caan is exceptional here, I would liked to have seen a more detailed exploration into why his character of Axel behaves the way that he does. Much is intimated, but little is actually disclosed. His conduct and choices, while for the most part abominable, are as fascinating as they are baffling. But what drives the seemingly insane behavior of this fellow who clearly has an exceptional capacity to think, interpret and express at such a high level? Czechoslovakian Director Karel Reisz ("The French Lieutenant's Woman", "Sweet Dreams" but not a lot else, actually) leaves it largely to our own conjecture to determine why in the hell Axel insists on barreling completely out of control down a one-way highway to oblivion. And the resultant aftertaste is not nearly as palatable as it could have been.The final image of "The Gambler" is a grotesquely grim one to be sure. Yet we get the unsettling feeling that Axel was never going to be genuinely "satisfied" until it got to this horrifically ugly point. And I suppose that after all this is the enduring point that Reisz is making with this sordidly squalid story. It was just such a murky journey he took us on to reach this cacophonous climax."The Gambler" didn't hit the jackpot for me, so I'm gonna "roll 6" for this one based off of Caan's enigmatic yet engrossing performance and for the wonderful work of the superb supporting cast.

copper1963 Gritty James Caan (Axel Freed) vehicle about addiction and its spillover into a pool of stark consequences. Hard to classify movie: Is it a dark drama or a complicated character study? It's a little of both, really. Caan, sporting hip clothes and a fresh perm, has everything a bachelor could wish for in life. He has a beautiful girl friend, doting, rich parents and a prestigious career. But there is little in life that can halt his appetite for gambling. Nothing. It's his true love. The movie straddles a New York underworld filled with loan sharks, violent thugs and pimps. On the bright side of the fence, however, is a world of family, love and literature. The film embraces the civil things in life: books, art, classical music. "Axel" (the perfect name for a failed hustler) and his mother even play the very civilized game of tennis, just before he hits her up for some cash. Later on in the film, he takes her to Coney Island for a swim. Their relationship is a solid one. She's a doctor--and her need to repair her broken son is evident throughout the picture. His father is a different story: a sell-made man, he doesn't understand his son's choice of girl, friends, career or lifestyle. Paul Sorvino is excellent as a collector of gambling debts, who admires Axel and his love of the arts. He has a soft spot for him, but that doesn't stop him from taking a swing at him. Axel blocks the punch (something rare for this character type) but not the reason for the blow. The location shooting in New York is spot on. The scenes at C.C.N.Y. stand on their own. They will make you check out the classics the next time you visit the library. I'll bet Axel's last dollar on that one. Promise.

joel cohen I saw this movie back in 1974/75 when it was released. I was already a Caan man. My comments are just random tidbits. Burt Young would go on to join Caan in 1975's The Killer Elite". Monkey (London Lee) was a stand-up comic who appeared numerous times on the Ed Sullivan show in the 60's. Lauren Hutton would trade Caan for Burt Reynolds in Gator. Caan earlier had beat out Burt for the role of Sonny Corleone. The line I remember most from this film is when Axel's mother is trying to get a bank loan to fund his gambling debt. There are some bureaucratic snafus and the bank officer isn't sure he has the proof to approve the loan to mom. Caan says "I came out of her womb and I know she's my mom. Now give her the god... money!".