A quick rundown of three underrated international gambling movies
Ocean’s Eleven, Casino, Rounders – Hollywood has a lot to say when it comes to gambling. However, while the American film industry makes some excellent gambling movies, the same can also be said about world cinema.
Hollywood is the oldest and one of the biggest film industries worldwide, leading to audiences and the academy often ignoring exceptional international films. So, in this quick rundown of gambling movies, we take a look at some underrated gems that you might not be aware of!
Bob le Flambeur (1956)
Bob le Flambeur is a French movie that was released in 1956 and was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. Melville was relatively unknown at the time of its release and shot the film using a hand-held camera. The movie’s plot revolves around the titular character, a reformed bank robber living as a gambler in Paris. However, Bob is not as reformed as he claims to be and secretly plans to rob a casino.
At the time of its release, it was the lowest-grossing movie for the director. However, over time, the film has received critical acclaim. Some critics see it as a homage to the classic American gangster movies while being a precursor to the upcoming French New Wave.
La città gioca d’azzardo / Gambling City (1975)
La città gioca d’azzardo, also known as “Gambling City”, was an Italian movie released in 1975. While it does not enjoy the same critical acclaim as the previous movie in this list, it represents an exciting time in Italian cinema.
The film falls in a genre now known as poliziotteschi – European movies released in response to American heist movies like The Sting (1973).
Gambling City follows the story of Luca Altieri, an expert poker player who gets embroiled in a plot filled with passion and crime. While some critics think that the movie does not hold up today, any film buff will find redeeming qualities in this film.
Teen Patti (2010)
Lastly, Teen Patti is a Bollywood film released in 2010. The film stars a legendary Indian actor in the form of Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley, who is considered one of the best English actors ever.
The movie’s plot revolves around a professor who is working on a probability theory and applies it to the Indian card game of Teen Patti. While most states in India do not allow land-based casinos, the game was probably chosen as Teen Patti is extremely popular at online casinos in India. While the plot might not be unique, it is still a good experiment for Bollywood and has some great acting performances.
