Crime,Drama,Romance
Canada,France
Lou, played by Burt Lancaster, lives in a decrepit apartment building in Atlantic City, working as a small time numbers runner for the local mob. He constantly reminisces about his glory days as a gangster in Prohibition-era Chicago, despite being a low-level, washed-up figure in his current life.
One day, Lou's neighbor and friend Grace (Kate Reid) asks him to look after her estranged grandson, Dave (Robert Joy). Dave is a small-time cocaine dealer who has stolen drugs from the mob and is now on the run from them. While hiding out in Lou's apartment, Dave introduces him to Sally (Susan Sarandon), a young, attractive casino waitress who dreams of escaping Atlantic City for the glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo.
Lou and Sally begin a tentative romantic relationship, with Lou using his mob connections to help Sally try to achieve her dream of leaving town. Along the way, they encounter a colorful cast of characters, including a wealthy, high-rolling gambler (Michel Piccoli) and Sally's former boyfriend, a violent mob enforcer (Al Waxman) who wants her back.
As Lou and Sally pursue their dreams, Dave's situation becomes increasingly desperate, leading to a violent confrontation with the mob that forces Lou to confront his own sense of identity and self-worth. The film ends with Lou and Sally's fate uncertain, but with the possibility of a brighter future ahead. Atlantic City received critical acclaim upon its release in 1980, with particular praise for Lancaster and Sarandon's performances.
