In case you missed it … ‘Croupier’

For those of you out there who are fans of Clive Owen, I introduce you to the film that introduced me to the actor. Croupier (1998) takes the television actor and turns him into a star. I really must recommend that you seek out this film if you enjoy the often entertaining genre of English under-belly noir cinema. Well, that’s what I call it anyway. Croupier follows Jack Manfred (played by Owen), a writer struggling to push beyond his writer’s block, as he reluctantly takes a job as a croupier, or casino dealer for we yanks. Jack soon discovers that the life of a croupier could make for a very interesting novel. Jack begins to play his part as croupier to the fullest, meanwhile strip-mining all he can from his experience to lavishly gold-leaf his novel in the making. As he becomes more deeply immersed into the life and culture of the casino, his relationship begins to fall apart. Jack finds inspiration in Jani, played by Alex Kingston (Alpha Dog), a regular gambler who he begins seeing after hours. Jani convinces Jack to become her inside man on a heist she is planning to get her creditors off her back. The roulette wheel really begins to spin as Jack steps into deeper waters than he had planned, but will Jack come out on top of the heap, or be crushed by its strong hand? Mike Hodges (the original Get Carter, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead) directed this intriguing modern noir, throwing Owen into the spotlight. Croupierflaunts the dimly lit, slightly gritty cinematography that has become popular for this sub-genre of British films, but the writing is what stands out. Written by Paul Mayersberg (The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Last Samurai), this screenplay was perfect for Clive Owen, allowing us to see him as the sharp, intelligent actor that we enjoy so much today.