The whole Polizi sub-genre owes itself mainly to the release of Don Siegel's classic cop flick Dirty Harry, but this one breaks the rules a little as it takes more influence from gambling classics such as The Cincinnati Kid and The Sting. The Polizi trademarks - things such as fistfights and car chases, still feature heavily, although it's clear that the main focus of the film is on the card games. The idea of an Italian crime film about gambling appealed to me as I'm a big fan of poker, and while that game does feature here; unfortunately, it's the less exciting games of five and seven card stud that take centre stage. The plot focuses on ace gambler Luca Altieri, who impresses crime boss 'The President' after cheating some poker player out of a lot of money. The President offers Luca a chance to put his cheating skills to use for him, and Luca soon accepts. However, trouble starts when the gambler's wandering eye catches the beautiful Maria Luisa; a woman who also happens to be the mistress of the boss's son Corrado, who doesn't take too kindly to Luca's presence...
Naturally, the film is completely over the top and while the influence from the aforementioned films 'The Sting' and 'The Cincinnati Kid' is clear, it's also obvious that this is a full blooded Italian thriller as Sergio Martino keeps the focus on the action and the film features far more punch-ups than a film about gambling probably should. The plot that ace scriptwriter Ernesto Gastaldi has put together is interesting for the most part, and gives the film more credibility than your average Italian rip-off thriller. The cast is good too, with the suave Luc Merenda leading the way, and receiving good support from the likes of Dayle Haddon and Corrado Pani. Martino does well at implementing the classic Italian style, and although the musical score gets a little silly at times; it's catchy enough to go well with the film. Overall, I wouldn't call Gambling City a masterpiece or even a must see; but its great fun to watch, as films like this should be, and it deserves kudos for that. Recommended to all fans of Italian cinema!
