Casinos are the backdrop for a number of films, both directly and indirectly. The money, the slick dress, the red, the black, the champagne. It’s easy to see why people want to visit casinos for their movie escapades. A great way to get into the spirit without leaving your home, is by playing some games on online websites such as Intertops’ casino games. We look at the top five casino films that make you want to get into that spirit.
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Rounders
Lauded across the blogosphere as THE casino film, Rounders stars Matt Damon as a reformed gambler, who loses a huge wad of cash in a single hand of poker and decides to give up and focus on law school. Damon’s character, Mike McDermot, has to re-enter the world of high-stakes poker to help pay off a massive debt for Edward Norton’s character Worm. The film is a part noir, part high adventure and is very popular with poker enthusiasts, who sometimes have been known to credit the film as the inspiration to getting into poker.
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Perhaps not a traditional casino film, but certainly one of the best films made and so deserving of entry on this list, Fear and Loathing is set in the heart of casino land, Las Vegas, and stars Johnny Depp in a role which has influenced many others. Playing the gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson who goes to Vegas to cover a race, but who ends up in a wonderland-esque fugue of sex, drugs and alcohol. A must see film.
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Casino Royale
There are, purists will tell you, two Casino Royales. The well-known Daniel Craig version was a huge success, with Craig’s famous trunks scene making this action film not just for men but with something for the ladies too. However, that isn’t the entire story when it comes to Casino Royale. The original from 1967 features Peter Sellers and an Oscar nominated song on the soundtrack by the legend Burt Bacharach, and is a great spoof of James Bond spy film.
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Ocean’s Eleven
Another entry on the list with multiple versions, Ocean’s Eleven is a slick heist film starring George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. A handsome gang plan to rob three casinos at once. The film is great, with beautiful faces, sets and action the whole way through, although the cockney accent of Don Cheadle is perhaps one of the worst attempts ever. Maybe not the worst. That’s got to be Robin Hood…
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Casino
Last but certainly not least, we have Casino. No list of casino films would be complete without a mention of the namesake, and this film from Martin Scorsese is a scorcher. Casino stars Robert de Niro, playing a mob associate who is sent to Vegas to run a Casino, who has to deal with Jo Pesci’s law breaking as well as running of a shady gambling empire. Much like Scorsese’s other works the film is brutal, yet powerful and moving.
