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"Place
Your Bets On 'Croupier'"
by Scott Mantz
"Croupier"
Clive Owen, Gina McKee
Directed by Mike Hodges
Sometimes, you
just have to make sacrifices. At least, that's what they tell people
with aspirations of making it in show business. Take writers for
example. It's one thing to be able to sit down and write, but it's
another thing entirely to get paid for it. Until that happens, writers
may be forced to work odd jobs just to make ends meet. Not that
there's anything wrong with that, as long as the work doesn't become
a distraction. In "Croupier," what starts out as a distraction has
an interesting way of turning into inspiration, and the result is
an intense, suspenseful, and engrossing moviegoing experience.
Jack Manfred
(Clive Owen) is a frustrated writer who's so strapped for cash that
he has to sell his vintage car. His father (Nicholas Ball) sets
him up with a job as a croupier, or a dealer, at one of London's
most exclusive casinos. It's easy money, especially with his previous
experience, but the intense pressure and the conflicting work schedule
puts a strain on his relationship with his live-in girlfriend (Gina
McKee). When Jack gets mixed up with a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie)
and visiting socialite (Alex Kingston) who's planning on robbing
the casino, he loses himself in a world of deception and intrigue.
Jack has to figure out a way to make this job work without losing
his focus on his writing and his girlfriend.
"Croupier" is
a fine example of a film that grabs you from the outset and pulls
you in with each passing scene, and considering who the filmmakers
are, it makes perfect sense. Director Mike Hodges' classic "Get
Carter" is considered by many film enthusiasts to be one of the
best British films of the 1960's, while writer Paul Mayersberg's
claim to fame is David Bowie's ultra-modern 1970's cult film "The
Man Who Fell to Earth."
All we know
about Jack is that he's a writer who gives the words "self-absorbed"
a whole new meaning. His delivery is cold and detached, and he doesn't
give a damn about anybody but himself. He's dead set against gambling,
even if it's for fun, yet he still gets a job that puts him right
in the thick of it. All of this makes sense when you consider that
he's got a debilitating case of writer's block, which will no doubt
be unlocked by his experiences in this seedy environment. As the
film progresses, Jack proceeds to narrate the story through Jake,
his adventurous alter ego, whereupon he realizes that he's actually
got something to say.
Along the way,
Jack meets a slew of interesting characters, including Bella, a
mysterious dealer who works on his shift. There is an obvious physical
attraction between them, but the film progresses to reveal something
beneath the surface. Jani is a high roller with even higher stakes
on her mind, and she uses her obvious beauty to get Jack in on her
scheme. Numerous plot twists all come together like the intertwining
freeways of LA, and when they finally do, you can't help but feel
the kind of surprising satisfaction that goes along with getting
what you've always wanted on Christmas Day.
Clive Owen plays
Jack Manfred with such a cold delivery, that you can't help buy
wonder why anyone would even give him the time of day. What he lacks
in emotion he more than makes up for with his confidence, which
is why he succeeds in winning over those he comes into contact with.
Gina McKee plays Owen's well-meaning girlfriend who is so loyal
that she pays the ultimate price for it. Alex Kingston (TV's "ER")
also puts in a fine performance as the mysterious woman who enters
Owen's life with more of an agenda than just sleeping with him,
and her initial snobby demeanor is replaced by a desperate plea
for help.
"Croupier" is
clear to point out that sometimes good things happen to bad people
(and vice versa). The film is defined by the same sort of hypocrisy
that defines its main character. Jack Manfred doesn't have one decent
bone in his body, yet, like gambling itself, we can't get enough
of him. For a person who hates gambling so much, he ends up being
the biggest gambler of all, dealing with people's lives. By the
time "Croupier" reaches its perplexing and surprising conclusion,
we can't help but feel the guilty pleasure that goes along with
winning a lot of money on a crooked bet.
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