An ingenious story of the wheel of chance, of good luck against bad, of fate against coincidence, a plot against destiny.
Believe it or not, but its' almost been a decade since Mike Hodge's low key London based noir missed our screens; for 'Croupier', much like 'Four Weddings And A Funeral', was met with widespread indifference by British critics upon its release: playing on a handful of screens 'Croupier' was soon shelved and promptly relegated to the doldrums of Dutch TV (a cruel twist of fate that would scupper its chances for Oscar glory). Amazingly, it was picked up in America and found an audience, thanks in no small part to the director's reputation with fans: Hodges being the man behind innovative 60s thriller 'Get Carter' and 80s camp, cult classic 'Flash Gordon'. Having done better than expected abroad, it wasn't long before 'Croupier' was re-evaluated and re-released to rave reviews at home. Typical. The film itself is a small scale affair; Clive Owen is struggling novelist Jack Manfred, forced to write populist, football themed tripe, Jack, stuck-in-a-rut and uninspired, decides to put his writing career on hold and starts work as a croupier in some non-descript, rundown city casino. Reinvigorated, he begins writing again; emulating certain character traits of the fictional hero in his latest novel 'I, Croupier': Jack becomes a 007-esque chancer (not the first time Owen's played one of those) cheating on his girlfriend (the underrated Gina McKee) and exerting a previously non-existent droit de seigneur over a snobbish colleague (Kate Hardie), his boss and unruly customers. Jack soon becomes involved with high rolling, debt ridden gambler Jani (Alex Kingston, doing a passable South African accent) and gets caught up in the planning of a complex heist. Film noir fans will appreciate Owen's cynical voiceover and over-the-roulette wheel machinations, and though the robbery subplot is misjudged and seems to have been tacked on for commercial reasons, 'Croupier' works as a well acted, slow burn character study. An entertaining and atmospheric picture, which looks at the malleable nature of identity within the framework of an ever shifting paradigm of modernity. A safe bet.
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Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is a would-be novelist who takes a job as croupier in a London casino. His girlfriend Marion (Gina McKee) doesn't much like his new life, but Jack is excited by the change, forms close bonds with some of his colleagues, and begins to make advances with his writing. He then meets down-on-her-luck gambler Jani (Alex Kingston), who asks him to get involved in a robbery at the casino - but is the croupier willing to take the risk? Directed by Mike ('Get Carter') Hodges.
Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Clive Owen heads a strong cast in this atmospheric thriller of sexual and financial temptation set in London’s gambling world. Jack Manfred (Owen) is an aspiring writer going nowhere fast. To make ends meet, and against his better judgement, he takes a job as a croupier. Drawn into the glamour and intrigue of the casino, the job gradually takes over his life and his relationship with girlfriend Marion (Gina McKee) begins to deteriorate. One gambler in particular catches his attention, Jani (Alex Kingston), whom he starts to see outside of work - a serious violation of casino rules. Jani is down on her luck. She asks Jack to be the inside man for a planned heist at the casino. It looks so simple, but even a professional like Jack can’t predict the cards he will be dealt.
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