Croupier acts to portray a seemingly dark and sometimes perverse dimension of the British casino underworld. Its' plot revolves around a humble stalwart of the Croupiers' who refuses to be corrupted and, so it seems, just wants to get on with life and his eventual aim to be a best-selling author.
The film plays a very interesting method of twisting through elements of Jack Carter (Clive Owen) life exploring his relationship between his girlfriend, the casino and more spectacularly, the aftermath when the two combine.
As a low-budget film, Mike Hodges uses very surreal atmospheric scenery and mood projections to add a very experienced touch of class. Although this might be considered overdone in places, this film does serve to give young and inspiration-seeking directors a good taste of how a simple story can be transcribed into an effective projection on the big screen.
It is a real shame this piece of work was only given a limited release but this should not dissuade the movie buff to get out and see this film at some time. Given its successful opening in the USA and it's ever increasing stature on the British screen, it deserves a full re-release however impossible this may be.
Short and snappy at just 89 minutes, it is guaranteed to give the viewer something to think about upon exit from the auditorium. Well worth the money to see and something I will definitely complement my DVD collection with on home release.
The film plays a very interesting method of twisting through elements of Jack Carter (Clive Owen) life exploring his relationship between his girlfriend, the casino and more spectacularly, the aftermath when the two combine.
As a low-budget film, Mike Hodges uses very surreal atmospheric scenery and mood projections to add a very experienced touch of class. Although this might be considered overdone in places, this film does serve to give young and inspiration-seeking directors a good taste of how a simple story can be transcribed into an effective projection on the big screen.
It is a real shame this piece of work was only given a limited release but this should not dissuade the movie buff to get out and see this film at some time. Given its successful opening in the USA and it's ever increasing stature on the British screen, it deserves a full re-release however impossible this may be.
Short and snappy at just 89 minutes, it is guaranteed to give the viewer something to think about upon exit from the auditorium. Well worth the money to see and something I will definitely complement my DVD collection with on home release.