Review of Croupier (1998) by Ben T — 03 Mar 2008

Dubbed a 'neo-noir' by some, 'Croupier' is a thoroughly enjoyable experience, though at times one that feels slightly incomplete. Clive Owen is not perhaps the most obvious choice for the lead character, Jack Manfred, an unsuccessful writer who returns to his former profession as a croupier to make ends meet.

Owen's tone is arguably too refined for a gruff, increasingly harsh voiceover, but all other aspects of his performance are excellent as a man who is slips back into to his greatest vice and gradually becomes the character he is inspired to write.

There is much in 'Croupier' that demands repeated viewings, with a considerable number of symbolic elements that slip past unnoticed first time around, and the ending is so downbeat as to be genuinely surprising.

If there is a fault, it lies in the fact that various aspects of the film make it feel like an adaptation from a longer, more complex book; plot angles and ideas are hinted at but then dropped and left unexplored, and at certain points there is a rather pressing lack of emotional insight into the characters that surround Jack, at times tentatively reminding you of the thrilling, but uncomfortable coldness of director Mike Hodge's masterpiece 'Get Carter'.

These are small matters however; to criticise 'Croupier' for being a lean, mean 94 minutes would be churlish, and even if some finer elements lack full exploration, they certainly do enough to catch your imagination and come back seeking further insight.