A remake of the 1974 film starring James Caan and written by James Tolback, The Gambler sees Wahlberg’s Jim Bennett in debt to the tune of $260,000 due to his tendency to lose at games of blackjack in exclusive casinos. “I think you’re the kinda guy who likes to lose,” observes Neville (Michael K Williams), the ruthless gangster who’s more than keen to see Jim hand over the $60,000 he owes him. Quiet student Amy has a rare insight into Jim’s double life. A part-time cocktail waitress at one of the casinos where Jim constantly loses his money, she develops a profound crush on her tutor – and thanks to Jim’s mile-wide self-destructive streak, Jim reciprocates. Jim has an insight into his own addiction, but we’re given only the scantest clues as to where his appetite for gambling comes from. As John Goodman’s scarily nude, shaven-headed money lender tells us, Jim is the grandson of the 17th richest family in the country. So why is he so horribly in debt that gangsters all over town are alternately threatening to break his femurs or tow away his prized BMW? On the flip-side, there are scenes that fail to function as plot development or pleasing character insights. We really don’t need to see Wahlberg’s character argue with a pawn shop owner over the value of an Omega watch, for example – particularly given that this lengthy exchange is negated by the scene which immediately follows it. Casting Wahlberg as a would-be card sharp and teacher is also something of a mixed blessing. On one hand, he’s a robust, charismatic presence (as Caan was), and his persona goes some way to papering over just how obnoxious Jim is as a character. Here’s a grown man who borrows huge sums of money from his mother (played by the wonderful Jessica Lange), and who thinks nothing of embarking on an affair with one of his own students. Wahlberg – just about – makes such a low-life worth rooting for, though the actor’s fast-talking style also raises a few questions of its own. Are college professors really allowed to stand in the halls, swearing and blaspheming in front of their students? Can they really lie down on their desk mid-lecture and admit defeat without being hauled into the principal’s office? Uneven and occasionally implausible, The Gambler gets by on the magnetism of its cast, the strength of its dialogue, and the morbid interest in seeing exactly where Jim’s subconscious desire to lose everything will take him next. The Gambler is out in UK cinemas on the 23rd January. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.