by Frank Wilkins

There is an endless number of movies about casinos and the people that frequent them. Our perspective is most often from that of the cons and the losers who are either playing for that one last win or who are planning the biggest casino heist ever. An endless stream of 3000 Miles to Graceland, Reindeer Games, and Oceans Eleven has come to dull my expectation's from any movie involving a casino, but this one takes a different angle. We get to see the casino from the other side of the table, from that of the dealer.

Jack Manfred, played by Clive Owen (Gosford Park, Bourne Identity) is a down-on-his-luck writer who takes a job at a London casino as a croupier, or dealer. His publisher wants him to write a novel about a soccer team, but instead he writes about what he knows. He gets some kind of cool, sadistic thrill from watching the faces of the losers at the roulette wheel. The wheel spins around, the ball falls silently into place and Jack knows that only fools hope, and to gamble is to hope. He uses his life as a croupier to provide the material for his novel, coolly calculating the odds of everything around him.

We learn that Jack's father has gotten him the job at the casino much to the disapproval of his wife, Marion, played smartly by Gina McKee. "I married a writer not a croupier." Little does she know that his croupier lifestyle would eventually make him famous, albeit anonymously as he publishes his novel. Jack views life through his alter ego, a cynical film-noir, narrator named Jake who, it appears on the surface, is the main character of his novel. When asked to become part of a wild scheme to rip-off the casino, we know that Jack will not participate because Jack likes to be in control and Jack doesn't gamble. "It is against the house rules to gamble."

All-in-all, Croupier is a sleek, smart character study that gives us an interesting look into the behind-the-scenes, inner workings of a casino. Along the way we meet many interesting characters, learn of a couple of unexpected plot twists and an ending that will keep you guessing. Owen's smoking jacket coolness gives Croupier the feel of a James Bond movie and his suave demeanor is so ice cold that we never really get to know him. Couple that with the voice-over narration and you get the feeling of a Mickey Spillane mystery thriller. Not much of a chick-flick so I give it a relatively low Julia Roberts factor rating, yet the surprise ending earns it a high rating in the wrap-up factor category.


Frank Wilkins

Complete Cast: