list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Croupier on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Croupier/117419/default.aspx Title: Croupier
Year: 1998
Director: Mike Hodges
Plot: A man finds his personal and professional loyalties divides by his new career at a casino in this crime drama. Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is a cocky, supremely confident man who wants to be a writer. Jack's long struggle to finish his first novel has landed him deep in debt, and his father (Nicholas Ball) volunteers to get him a job in a casino in London. While Jack doesn't gamble himself, he has the dexterity (and enough contempt for the game) to be a good dealer. He's soon making a tidy living as a dealer, despite the objections of his girlfriend, Marion (Gina McKee), who thinks his job is taking him away from his true calling as a writer. Against the orders of his boss, Jack has a fling with Bella (Kate Hardie), another dealer at the casino, and allows himself to be seduced by one of his customers, Jani (Alex Kingston). However, it turns out Jani wants more than sex from Jack; she and her compatriots have a plan to rob the casino and they want Jack to be their man on the inside. Croupier was directed by Mike Hodges, whose first film was the classic British thriller Get Carter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 5
Number of Lists: 6
Number of blog posts: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:14:28 GMTCroupier1998Mike HodgesA man finds his personal and professional loyalties divides by his new career at a casino in this crime drama. Jack Manfred (<a href="/players/P____54491/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Clive Owen</a>) is a cocky, supremely confident man who wants to be a writer. Jack's long struggle to finish his first novel has landed him deep in debt, and his father (Nicholas Ball) volunteers to get him a job in a casino in London. While Jack doesn't gamble himself, he has the dexterity (and enough contempt for the game) to be a good dealer. He's soon making a tidy living as a dealer, despite the objections of his girlfriend, Marion (<a href="/players/P____47669/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Gina McKee</a>), who thinks his job is taking him away from his true calling as a writer. Against the orders of his boss, Jack has a fling with Bella (<a href="/players/P____30321/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kate Hardie</a>), another dealer at the casino, and allows himself to be seduced by one of his customers, Jani (<a href="/players/P____38393/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alex Kingston</a>). However, it turns out Jani wants more than sex from Jack; she and her compatriots have a plan to rob the casino and they want Jack to be their man on the inside. Croupier was directed by <a href="/players/P____94541/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mike Hodges</a>, whose first film was the classic British thriller <a href=/films/58719/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Get Carter</a>. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide5Slightly Tagged (1-5)633http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t39734x205a.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Croupier/117419/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2008/9/30/35734.aspx Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 9/30/2008 7:14:28 PM
Body: Croupier (1998) is a good tale of an impoverished young writer whose father helps him get a job as a dealer in an English casino. Initially the suspense is novel: Will he slip into his old ways? Although his old ways are only hinted at, he may have been a compulsive gambler. Of course we don’t want the lad to go downhill, partly because he has a promising relationship with an attractive store detective. As he slowly gathers material for his book, he becomes involved, peripherally, in a casino heist, and his relationship with his girlfriend deteriorates. Although the film is refreshingly intelligent, the ending is a bit rough, as if the story had too many strands to pull together. Immediately after the heist, it is not clear whether it was successful. In one way this is clever because it sets us up for the surprise ending about how his father was conning him the entire time. But the vaguery is also detrimental because we don’t know how to take the shocking death of his girlfriend. The policeman says it may have been just a hit and run, or it may have been a revenge killing related to the casino heist. Either way, the croupier seems little moved by her death. In retrospect we can assume she was probably the victim of a chance hit and run. Deus ex machina?
]]>Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:14:28 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog9/30/2008 7:14:28 PM Croupier (1998) is a good tale of an impoverished young writer whose father helps him get a job as a dealer in an English casino. Initially the suspense is novel: Will he slip into his old ways? Although his old ways are only hinted at, he may have been a compulsive gambler. Of course we don&rsquo;t want the lad to go downhill, partly because he has a promising relationship with an attractive store detective. As he slowly gathers material for his book, he becomes involved, peripherally, in a casino heist, and his relationship with his girlfriend deteriorates. Although the film is refreshingly intelligent, the ending is a bit rough, as if the story had too many strands to pull together. Immediately after the heist, it is not clear whether it was successful. In one way this is clever because it sets us up for the surprise ending about how his father was conning him the entire time. But the vaguery is also detrimental because we don&rsquo;t know how to take the shocking death of his girlfriend. The policeman says it may have been just a hit and run, or it may have been a revenge killing related to the casino heist. Either way, the croupier seems little moved by her death. In retrospect we can assume she was probably the victim of a chance hit and run. Deus ex machina? http://www.spout.com/blogs/sarcastig/archive/2007/7/13/13875.aspx Post By: sarcastig
Post To: As cool as a Fruitstand
Post Date: 7/13/2007 4:00:33 PM
Body: It's sometimes so nice to come into a movie with no expectations or preconceived notions about it, and so rare, unfortunately. It's the big movie geek dilemma: you want to read everything that's being written about a movie you're eager to see, but this does have the side-effect that you lose the ability to be surprised. By the time a movie finally comes out here in the Netherlands, it often feels like I've seen it already.All I knew about Croupier was that a) it was about a croupier and b) it was Clive Owen's breakout role. My crush on Clive Owen made point b) enough of a reason for me, and after just watching Ocean's Thirteen two days ago, the casino setting seemed appropriate.I loved: the noirish third-person narration - though it spooked me a little, as when I get in a writerish phase I start narrating my life to myself in my head, also in third person; the unreliability of said narration, Clive Owen as a blonde, even if it isn't for long; Clive Owen's hat; the surprises of the plot; the cynicism; Clive Owen's grin at the end.I wasn't convinced so much by: the South-African accent on the woman from ER; the ending; the overall tone; the quality of Jack's writing.So the verdict? Definitely worth checking out. Originally posted on:As cool as a Fruitstand
]]>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:00:33 GMTsarcastigAs cool as a Fruitstand7/13/2007 4:00:33 PMIt's sometimes so nice to come into a movie with no expectations or preconceived notions about it, and so rare, unfortunately. It's the big movie geek dilemma: you want to read everything that's being written about a movie you're eager to see, but this does have the side-effect that you lose the ability to be surprised. By the time a movie finally comes out here in the Netherlands, it often feels like I've seen it already.All I knew about Croupier was that a) it was about a croupier and b) it was Clive Owen's breakout role. My crush on Clive Owen made point b) enough of a reason for me, and after just watching Ocean's Thirteen two days ago, the casino setting seemed appropriate.I loved: the noirish third-person narration - though it spooked me a little, as when I get in a writerish phase I start narrating my life to myself in my head, also in third person; the unreliability of said narration, Clive Owen as a blonde, even if it isn't for long; Clive Owen's hat; the surprises of the plot; the cynicism; Clive Owen's grin at the end.I wasn't convinced so much by: the South-African accent on the woman from ER; the ending; the overall tone; the quality of Jack's writing.So the verdict? Definitely worth checking out. Originally posted on:As cool as a Fruitstand http://www.spout.com/blogs/sarcastig/archive/2007/7/8/13448.aspx Post By: sarcastig
Post To: As cool as a Fruitstand
Post Date: 7/8/2007 6:00:30 PM
Body: It's sometimes so nice to come into a movie with no expectations or preconceived notions about it, and so rare, unfortunately. It's the big movie geek dilemma: you want to read everything that's being written about a movie you're eager to see, but this does have the side-effect that you lose the ability to be surprised. By the time a movie finally comes out here in the Netherlands, it often feels like I've seen it already.All I knew about Croupier was that a) it was about a croupier and b) it was Clive Owen's breakout role. My crush on Clive Owen made point b) enough of a reason for me, and after just watching Ocean's Thirteen two days ago, the casino setting seemed appropriate.I loved: the noirish third-person narration - though it spooked me a little, as when I get in a writerish phase I start narrating my life to myself in my head, also in third person; the unreliability of said narration, Clive Owen as a blonde, even if it isn't for long; Clive Owen's hat; the surprises of the plot; the cynicism; Clive Owen's grin at the end.I wasn't convinced so much by: the South-African accent on the woman from ER; the ending; the overall tone; the quality of Jack's writing.So the verdict? Definitely worth checking out. Originally posted on:As cool as a Fruitstand
]]>Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:00:30 GMTsarcastigAs cool as a Fruitstand7/8/2007 6:00:30 PMIt's sometimes so nice to come into a movie with no expectations or preconceived notions about it, and so rare, unfortunately. It's the big movie geek dilemma: you want to read everything that's being written about a movie you're eager to see, but this does have the side-effect that you lose the ability to be surprised. By the time a movie finally comes out here in the Netherlands, it often feels like I've seen it already.All I knew about Croupier was that a) it was about a croupier and b) it was Clive Owen's breakout role. My crush on Clive Owen made point b) enough of a reason for me, and after just watching Ocean's Thirteen two days ago, the casino setting seemed appropriate.I loved: the noirish third-person narration - though it spooked me a little, as when I get in a writerish phase I start narrating my life to myself in my head, also in third person; the unreliability of said narration, Clive Owen as a blonde, even if it isn't for long; Clive Owen's hat; the surprises of the plot; the cynicism; Clive Owen's grin at the end.I wasn't convinced so much by: the South-African accent on the woman from ER; the ending; the overall tone; the quality of Jack's writing.So the verdict? Definitely worth checking out. Originally posted on:As cool as a Fruitstand http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/awesome/MemberTagFilms.aspxawesome
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