Movies on the edge

By STEVE PERSALL

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 7, 2000

CROUPIER (R) (91 min.) -- Life is a gamble Jack Manfred doesn't want to play when Mike Hodges' film begins. His inner thoughts are heard throughout the film in third-person narration, sounding like the novel he can't bring himself to write.

Jack (Clive Owen) has just about as much money as inspiration, forcing him to return to work as a croupier in a London casino.

He doesn't gamble, preferring to watch the betting frenzy with calculated detachment; "the still center of the spinning wheel of misfortune," he calls himself as a roulette wheel turns. He enjoys watching his customers lose, perhaps because it keeps him from playing. And, for a while, somebody else is more miserable.

Croupier uses this chilled viewpoint to explain the inner workings of a gambling palace, like Scorsese's Casino. Screenwriter Paul Mayersberg makes the most of Jack's inner monologues, informing viewers about code words such as "a good customer" (one who loses a lot) and betting protocol. Hodges infuses his movie with the quiet fatalism of a blackjack hit on 15.

The vice soon grips Jack in the same way Matt Damon's character relapsed in Rounders. His gambits aren't only at the tables. Jack also skirts house rules for a shady lady (Alex Kingston) exploiting whatever passion he can still muster. Being pulled back into gambling drags Jack away from his lover (Gina McKee), all for an impulse that may restore his writing skills.

Mayersberg's spotty plan to combine these elements leads to a "surprise" ending that feels like the phoniest moment in the movie. Croupier works better with more subtle double-dealing drama. Owen makes his role easy to support despite his personality, thanks mainly to Mayersberg's intelligent narration.

Hodges is an interesting director. His film Get Carter (1971), starring Michael Caine, is a gloriously sordid gangster tale. Several filmmakers, including the Tarantino faction, regard it as a major inspiration. (A remake is being produced with Sylvester Stallone.) Hodges' output has been erratic since then, but Croupier shows he hasn't lost that lean, mean touch.

Croupier was almost lost, however. It was made in 1998 with French, German and Irish funding and mostly forgotten until the Shooting Gallery, a distributor specializing in offbeat films, picked it up. Now it's part of the Shooting Gallery's current series of six overlooked releases. This is the first one to reach local moviegoers. Hopefully, we'll see more.

Opens today at Tampa Theatre and Beach Theater. B+