Directed by Mike Hodges / Written by Paul Mayersberg
Starring Clive Owen, Alex Kingston, and Gina McGee
94 mins / Channel Four Films / Unrated
Retail: $24.95

Smoove

Croupier is a stylish and very English film about a lone writer / casino dealer and seperation from the world around him. The film has an unusual third person narrative, with the character in the film commenting on his life - much like American Psycho. And like serial killer Patrick Bateman, Jack is a very detached man and has a complete understanding about his life, helpless at times to control himself.

Femme fatales and mirrors abound in Croupier, bringing to mind elements of classic film noir. Couple that with the casino and the complicated plan to steal money and you've got a wonderful little noir film. It's never quite like most noirs though -never do you get so caught up in a web of intrigue that you can't understand the film. It's a nice dark noir that unfortunately never reaches the same level of accomplishement as the similarly noir-ish Red Rock West, but it comes close.

Again, in another connection to American Psycho: as Jack, Clive Owen is so detached as to be at times comatose. This isn't for lack of acting talent; his stoic acting choice is definitely right for the character. Owen has a Bond thing going on. In fact, he would make a much cooler Bond than the ever-aging Brosnan. Owen himself has seen plenty of action: check out bmwfilms.com, where you can watch short films directed by folks like Guy Ritchie, Ang Lee, and Ridley Scott, all starring Clive and a BMW.

Owen plays a writer whose narrative on the film frames the tale. It's like a card studded version of Adaptation, that doesn't make your head hurt as much. Croupier is a small film, but an enjoyable one. Perfect for an evening with iced vodka and a deck of cards.

Movie Grade: B+

Video: 3 out of 5
The look of the film is your usual, very soft Euro-look. It appears that it was shot on PAL (European video) and transferred straight to DVD. The soft look of PAL video sometimes looks a little blurry but the black levels and colors all look very sultry and it works for this film.
Widescreen (not anamorphic)

Addicted to the losers.

Audio: 3 out of 4
Nothing too exciting going on here.
English Dolby 2.0

Extras and Misc: 0 out of 5
Maybe because it's a foreign, small release did they decide not to include anything of importance. Not even a trailer in site. The menu opens up to a scene selection screen. The disc is a single disc in a snapper case.

Overall: 3 out of 5
It's such a nice little film, that you might consider even renting it on VHS. Don't bother with the DVD though, it's not worth any of your time.

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