Croupier

Croupier deals with interest.

Jack Manfred is a struggling writer who is set up by his gambler father for a job dealing at a London casino. Catching inspiration from the seedy setting of his employment, Jack starts to write about his experiences. But although it makes for a good story, the reality is that his life is spiralling out of control.

Croupier is known for two main things outside of being a good and interesting film. Firstly is that it launched the career of Clive Owen, lifting him out of the TV mainstay league and into the Hollywood subconscious. Secondly is that it was largely ignored on release in its homeland of Britain, but after America took a liking to Mike Hodges tantalising tale, it scored a re-release and Owen and t...

Such a shame. This is actually a decent film, but is ruined and turned into an unwatchable laughing stock by one simple thing. The film's title, the main protagonist's job, is mispronounced throughout the entire film. Unfortunately this is completely at odds with the image the film seeks to create, as well as being like fingernails down a blackboard to have to listen to for over an hour. If correct use of language doesn't matter to you, you'll probably like this film.

Ill admit I had high hopes for _Croupier_a cool, smart British film set in the gritty London of my late teenage years, a city I loved, but thats since vanished. And to be fair, the plot is clever and hooked me early on. Theres a slick, noir-ish vibe thats easy to settle into, and Clive Owen absolutely looks the part. But while the script has its flaws, its the direction that really lets the film down. The pacing drags, and theres a cold, clinical detachment to everything, making it almost impossible to connect with any character. Youre kept at arms length, which drains the film of tension and emotional weight.

Owen ends up stuck in second gearnot entirely his fault. Hes far more compelling as the third-person narrator than he is on scr...