Croupier Croupier Image 1998 / Color / 1:85 flat letterbox / 94 min. / Street Date March 9, 2004 / 19.99 Starring Clive Owen, Gina McKee, Kate Hardie, Alex Kingston Cinematography Michael Garfath Production Designer Jon Bunker Art Direction Ian Reade-Hill, Alexander Scherer, Gernot Thöndel Film Editor Les Healey Original Music Simon Fisher-Turner Written by Paul Mayersberg Produced by Jonathan Cavendish, Marlow De Mardt, Jake Lloyd, James Mitchell, Brigid Olen, Christine Ruppert Directed by Mike Hodges
	Reviewed by Glenn Erickson Croupier is a superior thriller with a interesting set of characters, a convincing setting and something that few movies of its kind can muster these days - unpredictability. Clive Owen (Gosford Park) is a writer unable to find the right subject until he takes up his old way of life mannning the gaming tables in a swank London casino. His adventures lead him to three different women and various opportunities for crime. How he handles the temptation makes for good entertainment. Synopsis: Stuck in his writing, Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) goes back to his tuxedoed life running roulette wheels and blackjack tables. His girlfirend Marion (Gina McKee) disapproves, but he excels on the gaming floor, showing everyone at the casino that he's an excellent croupier. The other employees flaunt the fraternization and cheating rules, and Jack is himself tempted by a female croupier named Bella (Kate Hardie), a dalliance which does no good for his homelife. But a smart gambler named Jani (Alex Kingston) comes on the scene, bringing a criminal scheme with her. Jack's back writing again, turning these adventures into good fiction. Will he go through with the crime as the inside man? A favorite older crime thriller about an inside man was 1978's The Silent Partner with Elliot Gould and Christopher Plummer. Croupier combines that film's excitement with a hardboiled surface of its own, courtesy of Paul Mayersberg's fine script. Jack Manfred's voiceover steps into the 3rd person to dryly comment on himself and what's going on, in fine Jim Thompson fashion. The story develops naturally and every plot turn and incident is something we haven't seen very often, if at all. It really gets one's attention. Our hero Jack is quiet and unresponsive but hides a desire to succeed that he cynically believes will never be satisfied. He holds great pride in his work and likes the feeling of control over a gambling world in which everyone seems to lose. He senses, but doesn't quite realize that his detachment from his environment will make getting involved in a robbery scheme all too easy. The atmosphere around the Casino is excellent, more compelling than last year's rather lightweight The Cooler. The job of croupier is examined as a workaday occupation with rewards and disadvantages. Jack's new boss is an interesting fellow easily swayed by good croupier manners and slick work with the cards and chips. Gina McKee's girlfriend is realistically demanding and nurturing, and understandably vexed by Jack's lack of emotion. Kate Hardie's co-worker first tempts Jack into breaking the staff fraternization rules and eventually blames him when somebody turns her in for cheating. But Alex Kingston's cautious gambler is a winner that Jack admires, a player (or "punter") who knows just which buttons to push to motivate Jack to do her bidding. All he has to do is help facilitate a distraction at the right time. But the smart dialogue and clever plotting are the best things here. Director Mike Hodges (Get Carter) has things completely in control - the crime doesn't become an excuse for excess violence or a Major Dramatic Statement. Croupier evokes the kind of thriller pleasures found only in good hardboiled fiction. Image and Shooting Gallery's DVD of Croupier looks fine, with a nicely-transferred image that's unfortunately not 16:9 enhanced. The sound is especially clear, which is a good thing for understanding the London pronunciations. There are no closed captions or subtitles to help out. There aren't any extras either, but we worry less about those things when the movie plays so well. On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, Croupier rates: Movie: Excellent Video: Good Sound: Very Good Supplements: none Packaging: Keep case Reviewed: March 9, 2004 [Savant Main Page] [Savant Links] [Article Index] [Review Index] [Savant 5 Year Report] DVD Savant Text © Copyright 2007 Glenn Erickson Advertise With Us Review Staff | About DVD Talk | Newsletter Subscribe | Join DVD Talk Forum Copyright © DVDTalk.com All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use