Yes, The Gambler is technically an ensemble film led by Mark Wahlberg and co-starring Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Brie Larson, and Michael Kenneth Williams. Yes, the plot looks intriguing and there's a lot going on in the trailer. However: Even with all that, nothing makes this film more worth your time than the fact that Jessica Lange is in it and looking crazy cool as ever. Case-in-point: The trailer for The Gambler just dropped ahead of the film's release next month, and, though there really is a lot to love about it — "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones! Brie Larson! Bald John Goodman! Excellent cinematography! Intriguing dialogue! — nothing stands out more than the fact that Jessica Lange's mere presence has created a halo of awesome around this entire project. That alone should be enough to make you want to camp out in front of a theater until its release.
Really, though: The film is directed by Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Rupert Wyatt, and stars Wahlberg as a college professor-by-day, gambling addict-by-night dude — a role that's already being called "career defining" for him. Lange is revealed in the trailer to be playing the role of his wealthy mother, who seems to have perfected the stone-cold stare of someone more fierce than most of the human race.
It's also a remake of the 1974 film of the same name, which starred James Caan, Paul Sorvino, and Lauren Hutton. Considering that film holds pretty amazing reviews (an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, in fact!), it seems like a pretty risky decision to go all in and remake it — but judging by the trailer, I'm gonna go ahead and say that they bet right on this on.
Check the trailer below. The Gambler will hit theaters on Dec. 19.
Image: YouTube
