Review of Croupier (1998) by Mike S — 03 Dec 2008
A slick, stylish, and curiously unsatisfying character study-cum-crime thriller. I'm not really sure what it does (or, more to the point, doesn't do) that makes it such, but -- despite a few inspired moments -- it's pretty un-gripping.
A very young (but no less badass) Clive Owen is well-cast in the lead, the script is smart and humorous and actually has a twist ending up its sleeve that both makes sense AND I didn't see coming (this is REALLY admirable), and the atmosphere is right.
But somehow ... something doesn't quite add up. It's perplexing enough to almost make me want to go back and watch it again so I could pinpoint it, but then the fundamental problem is that my gut tells me it's not worth the trouble.
Ah well. I'll chalk it up as a matter of personal taste, because it's certainly a well-made film; if I can't come up with any decent complaints, it's gotta be. There's just ... something.
Hrm.
This review of Croupier (1998) was written by Mike S on 03 Dec 2008.
Croupier has generally received positive reviews.
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