CROUPIER tells the complex story of an aspiring writer who must take a job in order to pay the bills. Experienced as a professional croupier, Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is hired by an upscale casino in London, where he intends to silently observe the goings on while continuing to work on his latest novel. Tensions begin to emerge between Jack and his girlfriend, Marion (Gina McKee), when he finds himself succumbing to the temptations that the gambling world presents; most notably, the gorgeous Jani (Alex Kingston), whose mysterious intentions eventually make themselves clear. As the story unfolds, Jack begins to realize that he is becoming the immoral hero of his novel, and is, in fact, giving in to these temptations to provide him with subject matter that will make for a memorable work of fiction.
Mike Hodges and Paul Mayersberg have crafted a taut thriller that keeps the twists unfolding until the film's very last shot. As a tribute to Mayersberg's script, Hodges insisted that he share the film's author credit with the scribe. This unprecedented decision, combined with Clive Owen's seductive, highly irresistible performance, results in a motion picture that is an intelligent throwback to the crime films of yesteryear.
(17 votes)
2.
"Mesmerizes from the first frame. An elegant jewel!"-Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
All bets are off in London's gambling world when struggling writer Jack Manfred (Gosford Park's Clive Owen) accepts his father's offer of a job as a croupier, out the cards of fate and fortune each night to casino patrons. As his relationship with his girlfriend, Marion (Notting Hill's Gina McKee), suffers from the strain of his new job, Jack finds his eye roving to a seductive gambler, Jani (ER's Alex Kingston), who lures him into a dangerous robbery scheme with Jack positioned as the inside man. A critical and commercial smash, this delicious British thriller from director Mike Hodges (Get Carter) and writer Paul Mayersberg (The Last Samurai) is a solid winner from start to finish!
(17 votes)
3.
The Croupier sees Clive Owen suffering from a bad case of writer's block as author Jack Manfred. Sitting in his London flat staring at an empty computer screen, trying to find the words to narrate his meandering life, he reluctantly accepts a job from his absentee father (Nicholas Ball) in a second rate casino as a dealer, or croupier, a job he once held in South Africa. His immersion back into this world is intoxicating, thanks primarily to the power he holds over his nightly clientele. Jack is a straight arrow on the floor (unlike his co-workers) but the whisper of an inside-job robbery makes his life suddenly more intriguing, as do the women who begin to drift into his life: a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie) and an alluring gambler (Alex Kingston). Suddenly, Jack finds his own life is his best book material.
There's something visceral about watching the world of gambling, and director Mike Hodges (the original Get Carter) taps into this allure; Jack's simple croupier tryout--handling cards and chips with skill and grace--is as captivating as most action scenes in big popcorn films. In the end, this little film, which went on to become an art-house hit, is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com
(17 votes)
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