Director: Mike Hodges
Screenplay: Paul Mayersberg
Starring: Clive Owen, Kate Hardie, Alex Kingston, Gina McKee, Nicholas Ball, Alexander Morton
Country: UK, Germany, France, Ireland
Running Time: 94 min
Year: 1998
BBFC Certificate: 15
In “Croupier,” Jack Manfred is faced with an irreconcilable choice – to be either a gambler or croupier. As someone positioned between casino bosses and bettors, his job allows him to keep an eye on both sides. Jack prides himself on remaining an even-tempered individual; proclaiming, “I do not gamble.” But his personal life proves otherwise when reckless bets put him down an unexpectedly perilous path leading to three women and an elaborate scheme to defraud his employer.
Jack (Clive Owen), harbors dreams of becoming a writer, narrating his story in third person as though writing it himself. With his slick-back black hair and emotional distance reminiscent of Alain Delon’s professional killer from “Le Samourai”, Jack recalls Alain Delon’s professional killer from “Le Samourai”, as his character longs to remain detached while calculating odds but always ends up getting into trouble anyway; this pattern may suggest a gambling obsession on Jack’s part.
Jack’s existence hinges upon his relationship with his father (Nicholas Ball), an authentic gambler–an unrestrained womanizer and drinker who recklessly disrupted Jack’s formative years. Yet Jack remains unswervingly composed as it provides protection for an emotionally vulnerable child within himself.
Jack’s father, now residing in South Africa, arranges a job for him at a London casino where people can play classic roulette and other similar games. Jack excels as a dealer and possesses deft card manipulation skills (evoking memories of his father teaching him how to shuffle). The film exhibits an astute understanding of casinos, particularly in highlighting the tendency for dealers, with their unusual hours and surreal work environment, to form romantic connections exclusively within their circle (“incest,” as the screenplay calls it). Jack observes impassively as gamblers queue up, hoping to test their luck, while the movie astutely captures the dealers’ complete indifference toward their clients. Regardless of whether they win or lose, the length of the work shift remains unaffected.
Jack is involved with Marion (Gina McKee), his girlfriend and a store detective, who candidly tells him, “I want to marry a writer, not a [expletive] croupier.” Throughout the narrative, he also engages in liaisons with Bella (Kate Hardie), a dealer who works alongside him, and Jani De Villiers (Alex Kingston), a glamorous South African casino client—reckless, indebted, and sexually predatory—whose scheme to cheat the casino entices him. Jack, detached enough from his job and intrigued by the intricacies of the plot, finds himself drawn in.
The film is directed by Mike Hodges, renowned for his work on the exceptional British crime film “Get Carter” (1971). The screenplay, penned by Paul Mayersberg (“The Man Who Fell to Earth,” “Eureka”), demonstrates thorough research, resulting in authentic casino scenes. Rather than presenting an unconvincing movie casino, the film convincingly portrays a smaller London establishment, where the veneer of plushness, gilt, and tuxedoed bouncers at the entrance can’t quite conceal the tarnish.
The plot unfolds with more complexity than anticipated. Without giving away details, it culminates in an unexpected and satisfying, albeit slightly implausible, conclusion. However, the film’s focal point lies not solely in its plot but in its character development and atmospheric ambiance. Hodges finds himself captivated by Jack Manfred, a protagonist convinced he can stand apart from his own life, exert control, calculate the odds, and transform it into a novel.
The casting choice of Clive Owen proves to be an excellent one. He possesses the same reserve and understated presence as Sean Connery in the Bond films. Owen does not wholly surrender himself to the action but seems to retain a portion of his mind outside of it, constantly evaluating and calculating. This quality is not merely a strategy; it is inherent to his character. We sense that Jack’s father had a knack for catching him off-guard, leading Jack to vow that he would never be deceived again as he grew older. If, indeed, he ever truly grew up.
Leave a Reply