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CroupierRating:
Release Date: 09 March, 2004 Retail Price: $19.99 OUR Price: $17.99 You SAVE: $2.00! Cast: Complete Cast (5 total) |
Croupier Reviews
A character study of a croupier-turned-writer-turned-croupier-turned-writer and the fabric of a man
This movie is truly a character study of a croupier-turned-writer-turned-croupier (played by Clive Owen). Our leading man thinks he's a writer, but with his dismal success at the career, he turns back to the skill he knows best from his past life--dealing cards. His former-police-officer live-in girlfriend is dismayed at the change in her man, from a homebody to a hard-living man who is out late nights at the casino. The croupier, however, is very clearly NOT a gambler. He's defined himself as the man who deals the cards, not the one who loses to the house odds (he did come from a failure of a gambler of a father in South Africa, that is).
Well, the dealings of the casino aren't as upright as our croupier is himself, and he is faced with temptation after double-cross after inside plea after perfect score, again and again. The fascinating movie gets to what the true fabric of a man is, especially in light of his father's behavior. Our croupier faces a number of women of different walks of life--his upstanding fiancée, a fellow croupier and druggie, and a wealthy gambler who gets herself in her own pickle of debt.
Watching the croupier find his true self and his lot in life (Is he a writer? Just a card dealer? A cheater on the girlfriend who loved him? A man willing to sacrifice his morals for a score? How much of his old man is in him? What constitutes gambling?) makes for fascinating cinema, and this movie delivers a gut-punching twist at the end. I was recommended this movie because I liked "Swimming Pool," "Insomnia," and "Memento," so try those out if you enjoyed the terrific film "Croupier."
"Croupier" deals a winning hand
Back around April, there was still the question of who would become the next James Bond. Being a 007 fan, I decided to watch some movies featuring the top contender: Clive Owen. The first film I watched was "Croupier".
"Croupier" stars Clive Owen as an aspiring writer with big dreams and little chance of success. His father (Nicholas Ball) snags him a job as a croupier at a local casino. When he begins working there, Owen realizes that his life as a croupier would make a great novel. Owen begins writing the novel, all the while being drawn deeper into a web of deceit and dangerous gambles.
The cast - which includes Nick Reding, Alexander Morton, Gina McKee, Paul Reynolds, Kate Hardie, and Alex Kingston - is very good. Clive Owen is spectacular. He was a perfect choice for the role. He makes it very clear how detached his character feels from the rest of society, and he also shows us how amused and disgusted he is with the gamblers he sees every day. As a 007 fan, I thought it was interesting to see him in the casino scenes, because he had the sort of casual cool that Sean Connery did in the Bond films.
Mike Hodges' directing is superb. He captures Owen's feeling of detachment and creates a dark, smoky atmosphere for the film. Paul Mayersberg's script is well-written and absorbing.
Simon Fisher-Turner's music is great, particularly the theme song. It also adds to the mood of the film.
I loved "Croupier" when I first watched it, and I still do. It's well-written, with great directing from Mike Hodges and a terrific performance from Clive Owen. "Croupier" deals a winning hand.
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