Feature Movie Description... continued.
Croupier - 1998
"You have to make the choice in life: be a gambler or a croupier, and then live with your decision," says Jack Manfred, the writer/croupier in director Mike Hodges' (Get Carter) terrific film noir-ish character study that gives us a peek at the London gambling scene. There's no flashing neon, Elvis impersonator or choreographed water fountain in the high-roller casino where unsuccessful author Jack (Owen) toils. In fact, with its mirrored walls, cheesy carpeting and outdated furniture, this joint looks more like a New Jersey wedding reception hall than a typical casino. But the lure of the lifestyle is the same, and despite Jack's choice to stick with dealing blackjack and other card games and steer clear of gambling beyond his job, life deals him another hand. Jack's voiceover--usually an annoying movie device that's actually very effective here--reveals much more than his steely outward demeanor does, including his plans to turn his experiences at the casino into a book that eventually becomes a best seller. He also begins to immerse himself into his book's plot, to the point of losing his girlfriend, breaking the workplace rules against sleeping with co-workers and fraternizing with the patrons, and gambling himself. Just as Jack's casino is not the flashing gambling hole we're used to seeing on the big screen, Croupier is not the flashy gambling thriller we're used to seeing on the big screen. And that's a good thing. The jackpot scene: Jack's croupier audition. In one slick scene, he deftly and quickly separates a pile of casino chips and susses out the fact that his boss can't count while showing his own card dealing proficiency. It's quietly exciting in the movie's trademark understated tone.