Best Sports film: The 3 greatest films about sports betting

If film directors bet much more on the world of casinos to put together a thrilling plot, the world of sports betting is not left out! Perhaps less bling-bling, but just as fascinating, the closed environment of Paris lovers inspires masterpieces of the seventh art, and we have selected in our guide the 3 films that approach, from different angles, the profiles and stories of certain bettors.

Two for the Money, 2005

This film, whose Quebec title is "Caught in the game" is a real success of the genre. Directed by Daniel John Caruso (to whom we also owe the scary Paranoiac), it was released in Canada at the end of 2005. The cast is breathtaking. The legend Al Pacino gives the line to the excellent Matthew McConaughey. These two actors have been able to prove through their respective filmographies that they are monsters of cinema and it is with great pleasure that we find them both in this film based on real facts.

Synopsis : a great player on his university's football team, Brandon Lang (Matthew McConaughey) has his brilliant career shattered by a stupid injury. He then became a sports betting advisor and excelled in this discipline. His incredible gift of being able to predict the outcome of matches attracts the curiosity of a sports betting agency boss, Walter Abrams (Al Pacino). The two men become partners. Brandon sees the doors of luxury open to him and appreciates Walter's high-profile side. A very strong fraternal relationship binds the acolytes and their business is a dazzling success. Until one day Brandon's gift fails him. Since millions of dollars depend on this extraordinary ability on the decline, the two associates become enemies and face each other in the ring of life. Their entourage will be both victims and witnesses of this war under cover, where all blows are allowed and are played beyond what we could imagine.

This film based on a true story illustrates the components of sports betting, money and fame that can result and disappear overnight. This topic is quite complicated in the United States, since sports betting is only allowed in four states (Nevada, Oregon, Delaware and Montana), and is illegal everywhere else in Uncle Sam's country. What is forbidden is even more attractive, which partly explains the success of the film in the United States.

Cult phrase: “ Know what you know, and know what you don't know. And know that I gotta know everything you know as soon as you know it... or sooner. ” Walter Abrams

Silver Lining Playbook, 2012

"The Good Side of Things", in Quebecois is one of our favorite movies. And not only for the sports betting side. It is a film that attracts a lot of reflections on multiple social topics, and even if sports betting is only one of the many facets of this work, we wanted to include it in this top, because we love Robert de Niro as an inveterate bettor and Bradley Cooper, this real chameleon, who gives the replica to the talented and magnificent Jennifer Lawrence.

Synopsis : Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is released from a psychiatric hospital after 8 months of internment. He was treated there for depression and doctors diagnosed his bipolar disorder after the assault of his wife's lover, Nikki. We learn it during his court-ordered therapy sessions, Pat was a history teacher at a high school, he caught the adulterous couple in the shower to the sound of his own wedding music and that's when he flipped. Obsessed with the idea of reuniting with his wife in the hope that everything will return to the way it was before, Pat reads the books that Nikki studies with her students, goes in for sports and tries to find a balanced life. When he returns from the mental institution, Pat has no choice but to return to his parents. He discovers with surprise that his father, Pat Senior (Robert de Niro), unemployed has become a bookmaker. The many superstitions played to perfection by Robert de Niro lend a smile and make the character extremely endearing. In the main plot, Pat gets to know Tiffany who has also experienced terrible life trials. At first, the cynicism of one and the misplaced frankness of the other make the relationships explosive. But willy-nilly, they make a deal. In exchange for entrusting Tiffany with a letter to give to Nikki, Pat must agree to participate in the dance competition that Tiffany covets.

At the same time, Pat Senior asks his son, whom he considers a lucky charm on paws, to free up time in his training to go see a game of the Philadelphia Eagles, team on which the father has placed all his money. Unfortunately, a fight breaks out on the spot and they are arrested by the police. On the way home, the father is furious that he has lost his bet and Pat keeps a low profile. Tiffany adds to the dramatic situation by coming to berate her dance partner for missing the training session. She proves by A+B to Pat's father that the Eagles only win when she and Pat are together. The scene, as hilarious as it is incongruous, ends with a bet made between Pat Senior and one of his friends. If the Eagles win the next game, and his son and Tiffany get the average in the dance competition, he will win double the amount he lost. We won't tell you the details or the end, but the apparent complexity of the story is fascinating. The actors crack the screen and the interpretations of the lessons of the film are very personal. In short, you got it, watch it urgently!

Cult phrase: “ It's game day. I'm making crabby snacks and homemade .”Dolores Solitano, mother of Pat Solitano.

Behind the scenes of the feat, 1988

This slightly older film could not not be part of this cultural article. Based on a true story, it tells one of the biggest scandals in the history of sports. Extremely well received by critics, this sad part of the history of American baseball is interpreted and staged with great accuracy. We advise you to get the special edition of the dvd which was released in 2013, it is a cult of any good video library.

Synopsis : the Chicago White Sox, the best baseball team in 1919 is also one of the best of all time. Nevertheless, the owner of these stars, Charles Comiskey has sea urchins in his pockets and does not pay any interest in rewarding his players for this spectacular season. The misfortune of some makes the happiness of others, it is said. The legendary bettors Bill Burns, and Bill Mahard get wind of this frustration on the part of the players and decide to offer them more money to play in an execrable way against the Cincinnati Reds during the World Series. One of the players who had been cheated by Comiskey who had promised him a $10,000 bonus if he won 30 games for the season accepted the combine, as did his teammates. The problem is that the White Sox played the comedy too well and the sequence of serious fouls during the game attracts the suspicions of journalists. Most of the players were not paid up to what was announced to them by the bettors. They are, in addition, prosecuted after the falsehood broke out in the media, the consequences are catastrophic. The legends become outcasts and are suspended for life. This film touched us, outraged, shocked. This is one of those masterpieces that takes you by the guts. We highly recommend it to you! It is also an opportunity to reflect on the raison d'être of sports betting and the lessons learned from this story can resonate with each of the bettors that we are.

Cult phrase: “ The inside story of how the national pastime became a national scandal .”