Mike Hodges' film 'Croupier' tells the stark story of Jack Manfred, a writer who sells his soul to work in a casino. As might be expected from the director of 'Get Carter', the acting is deadpan throughout, and the plot is likewise understated: the point is less what happens than the fact that Jack can deal with it. Yet this (short) film is oddly compelling: although we actually get only a brief insight into the workings of the casino, there's something very addictive about the way it is presented, the film has the smack of authenticity and one watches transfixed, as if one was being shown it all for real. Also effectively communicated is the mixture of alienation and exhilaration that comes to possess and drive an increasingly dehumanised Jack. 'Croupier' is not the best film ever made, but it never oversells itself and holds one's attention throughout. A highly effective and distinctive thriller.
Review of Croupier
