Customer Reviews

Croupier

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is a writer in search of inspiration who needs a "real" job to make ends meet at least until he manages to finish and sell his first book. Taking advantage of his previous experience as a croupier, Jack somehow ends up in a casino, where he will find not only a way to earn the money he needs, but also the inspiration he was seeking so desperately. Jack decides that "he would write about the world he knew, from the inside".

As a consequence, he starts to write a book based on his experiences in the casino, and at the same time shares with us the world of numbers, and odds. For some spectators, watching this film will be similar to visiting a new world that they weren't aware of before...

The director (Mike Hodges) mixed the events with Jack's detached reflections on them, and the result is quite good. I found some of Jack's insights particularly interesting, for example those about people who are addicted to gambling, and their behaviour.

In general, this is a great movie, somewhat acid but very good all the same. I strongly recommend it to you, and I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. I guarantee that after watching it you won't regard gambling in the same way. And remember, "You have to make the choice in life. Be a gambler or a croupier. And then live with your decision come what may".

Belen Alcat

This is an excellent movie - do not hesitate to buy it. Clive Owen does a spectacular job with his character.

A struggling writer who's a talented cardsman gets a job as a croupier, thanks to his father, in a London casino. From there the film moves into a complicated scheme to rob the casino, with violence and double dealing along the way. The one unexpected bit of retribution that hits Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) has emotional power. The ending is not exactly nihilistic, but has more than a bit of irony.

Mike Hodges, who directed the first-rate Get Carter with Michael Caine, brings the same cool approach here. Owen is perfect in the lead, and the rest of the cast is excellent. Croupier is a very good story very well done.

The DVD transfer also is excellent. There are no extras.

Well, of course their are no car chases (that's a joke) but this is a film most men will love. What there is in the film is an excellent plot that's so clever it ought to have a PhD from Harvard. I guarantee that the ending will surprise you. The lead character's travails are fascinating and will cause many a man to feel envy. I personally never thought much about what it would be like to be a dealer, or croupier, before I saw it but I gained an honest appreciation for what their jobs entail by watching it. Its also a film for writers.

A nice British character study of a struggling writer, Jack Manfred, who goes back to his former love, being a croupier. He gets a job at a low-scale casino and decides to write a book about his own experience. His wife does not want him to lead the life of a croupier and, spurred on by an affair he is caught in, leaves him. Jack gets attached to a shady customer, who makes him an offer that might change his life.

Manfred has a priviledged perspective on gambling, being able to discern the psychological flaws of everyone around him, much like Matt Damon's character in Rounders (a cliché but interesting movie precisely because of that). In the same way, Croupier goes beyond the relatively simple story by having Manfred always narrating the events as he sees them in his own worldview. It provodes a lot more depth in his character and the movie in general.

Manfred is not a cruel character, but his love of croupier work, and how it intimately relates to his own life, gives him a detached quality. I would say he is definitely an egoist character, and has no qualms in examining moral issues dispassionately. Very refreshing.

A nice British character study of a struggling writer, Jack Manfred, who goes back to his former love, being a croupier. He gets a job at a low-scale casino and decides to write a book about his own experience. His wife does not want him to lead the life of a croupier and, spurred on by an affair he is caught in, leaves him. Jack gets attached to a shady customer, who makes him an offer that might change his life.

Manfred has a priviledged perspective on gambling, being able to discern the psychological flaws of everyone around him, much like Matt Damon's character in Rounders (a cliché but interesting movie precisely because of that). In the same way, Croupier goes beyond the relatively simple story by having Manfred always narrating the events as he sees them in his own worldview. It provodes a lot more depth in his character and the movie in general.

Manfred is not a cruel character, but his love of croupier work, and how it intimately relates to his own life, gives him a detached quality. I would say he is definitely an egoist character, and has no qualms in examining moral issues dispassionately. Very refreshing.

I've been looking for a commerically available Region 1 version of Croupier for quite some time now. I was so excited to see that its being re-released that I had to check other sources to make sure its not a glitch. But, yes indeed, Croupier is scheduled to be re-released March 9, 2004!

As for the film itself, this film introduced Americans to Clive Owen. It opened the doors for Clive's recent film roles in the BMW Films "The Hire," "Gosford Park," "Bourne Identity," "Beyond Borders" and upcoming starring role in "King Authur" (not to mention the James Bond rumors. I've also heard good things about the Brit TV miniseries "Second Sight.") Don't expect a Hollywood thriller here. This modern update of the film noir genre is shot to create disconnect and confusion, and the characters are gritty and flawed. The film centers around Jack Manfred, a struggling-writer-turned-card-dealer. Jack moves through his life like a ghost, detached and disinterested in the events of his own life. Alex Kingston's character Jani de Villiers enters his life and adds color to Jack's dark world. Jani is the femme fatale to Jack's postmodern hard-boiled hero, but I love that Jack and Jani's relationship does not develop in the way you would expect. Overall, an enjoyable film for indie film lovers and a must for Clive Owen fans.

Jack the croupier lives by one rule: "Hang on tightly, let go lightly..." However, no matter how zen-trained a reader is, it's not easy to let go lightly of this book which contains draft No.9 of Paul Mayersberg's screenplay and is dedicated to the memory of Jean-Pierre Melville. It is a very insightful companion to Mike Hodges' once obscure now cult-movie, and a must-read for its numerous fans, since it offers more than the mere "transcript" of a final cut. A very interesting chapter -- titled "Annotations, Memories and Notes for the Curious" -- confirms why CROUPIER is the thinking person's film noir par excellence. As a bonus, the book is illustrated with B&W photos from the film featuring Clive Owen, Alex Kingston, Kate Hardie and Gina McKee. Food for thought meets eye candy... leaving nothing to chance. Hang on tightly.