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Croupier (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:53
Fresh:52
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: The writer slumming for human truths and real experience is a common enough story, but this cool-headed and slick thriller provides a gut-churningly compelling backdrop to a look at our darker sides.
Synopsis: CROUPIER tells the complex story of an aspiring writer who must take a job in order to pay the bills. Experienced as a professional croupier, Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is hired by an upscale casino... CROUPIER tells the complex story of an aspiring writer who must take a job in order to pay the bills. Experienced as a professional croupier, Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is hired by an upscale casino in London, where he intends to silently observe the goings on while continuing to work on his latest novel. Tensions begin to emerge between Jack and his girlfriend, Marion (Gina McKee), when he finds himself succumbing to the temptations that the gambling world presents; most notably, the gorgeous Jani (Alex Kingston), whose mysterious intentions eventually make themselves clear. As the story unfolds, Jack begins to realize that he is becoming the immoral hero of his novel, and is, in fact, giving in to these temptations to provide him with subject matter that will make for a memorable work of fiction. Mike Hodges and Paul Mayersberg have crafted a taut thriller that keeps the twists unfolding until the film's very last shot. As a tribute to Mayersberg's script, Hodges insisted that he share the film's author credit with the scribe. This unprecedented decision, combined with Clive Owen's seductive, highly irresistible performance, results in a motion picture that is an intelligent throwback to the crime films of yesteryear. [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Gina McKee, Alex Kingston, Alexander Morton
Starring: Clive Owen, Gina McKee, Alex Kingston, Alexander Morton, Kate Hardie, Paul Reynolds, Nick Reding, Nicholas Ball, Ozzi Yue, Tom Mannion, James Clyde, Emma Lewis, Kate Fenwick, Ciro De Chiara, Barnaby Kay, Sheila Whitfield, John Radcliffe, Eddie Osei, Doremy Vernon, Claudine Carter, George Khan
Director: Mike Hodges
Director: Mike Hodges
Screenwriter: Paul Mayersberg
Producer: Jonathan Cavendish
Composer: Simon Fisher Turner
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Release:
Mar 9, 2004
Reviews for Croupier
For once here is a British film that is both tough and intelligent, and so well-researched that it will probably tell you more about how casinos work than had it been a documentary.
It’s more of an art movie than a thriller, but it’s still gripping, persuasive, unsettling stuff.
Croupier is taut, tense and enthralling, as smart and surprising as its protagonist.
It's a real surprise to watch Hodges examine the humanity of his characters instead of just having them run around and kill each other.
Far more successful at the gambler's rush than Matt Damon's schoolboy lessons in Rounders, Croupier is worth taking a chance on.
Ultimately, it's the finely drawn characters, the unusual setting and a completely engrossing story that make this one a winner.
For 95 percent of the way, it is an engrossing tour of an attractively seamy side of life and a fascinating character study, despite having a novelist for a hero.
One of the most exciting discoveries of the 2000 Floating Film Festival.
An alternate and superior British version of Rounders with elements of Reindeer Games and hilariously unnecessary voiceover narration thrown in.
Seldom will you see a film so well crafted, and you will likely go a long way to find performances even half this good, especially Owen’s and McKee’s.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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