The Croupier (1998)
Take a steady, steely very young Clive Owen and give him a mysterious past in the gambling dens of South Africa. Then have him need a job in London--at a casino.
That's the movie, and all the almost inevitable pressures on him to eventually either cheat of get involved in a crime. But he gives the appearance of having been there and done that and he's cool as a cucumber. And very effective. This is one of this first really movie roles (after years of British t.v.) and you can see how he is a whole level above his peers. There isn't really a bad performance in the bunch, but lots of just serviceable stuff that lets him do his thing.
The plot builds nicely, with some subtle twists and decent writing. The ending is a weirdly flat experience--meant to be shocking and open-ended no doubt--which makes you re-evaluate the climax right before that. Owes plays it all as if nothing mattered, though he does on the inside seem affected.
The other twist here, almost unnecessary but it works, is that Owen is also writing a book about it all, and he sometimes (through voice-over narration) confuses and conflates the lead character in the book with himself. They are of course the same, sort of, but not too closely or he'd get caught.
At doing whatever he is really doing. Never mind all the possible flaws in the plot, it clicks overall and it's intriguing. It also has a nice, if a bit brightly illuminated (t.v. style) filming. Solid, low budget stuff. And an entry into the life of a mega-actor to be.
Oh, and I wouldn't call it a noir (or neo-noir) even with all the voiceovers and the alienated lead male--it lacks the other element of pure style, which this functional movie avoids too well.
Take a steady, steely very young Clive Owen and give him a mysterious past in the gambling dens of South Africa. Then have him need a job in London--at a casino.
That's the movie, and all the almost inevitable pressures on him to eventually either cheat of get involved in a crime. But he gives the appearance of having been there and done that and he's cool as a cucumber. And very effective. This is one of this first really movie roles (after years of British t.v.) and you can see how he is a whole level above his peers. There isn't really a bad performance in the bunch, but lots of just serviceable stuff that lets him do his thing.
The plot builds nicely, with some subtle twists and decent writing. The ending is a weirdly flat experience--meant to be shocking and open-ended no doubt--which makes you re-evaluate the climax right before that. Owes plays it all as if nothing mattered, though he does on the inside seem affected.
The other twist here, almost unnecessary but it works, is that Owen is also writing a book about it all, and he sometimes (through voice-over narration) confuses and conflates the lead character in the book with himself. They are of course the same, sort of, but not too closely or he'd get caught.
At doing whatever he is really doing. Never mind all the possible flaws in the plot, it clicks overall and it's intriguing. It also has a nice, if a bit brightly illuminated (t.v. style) filming. Solid, low budget stuff. And an entry into the life of a mega-actor to be.
Oh, and I wouldn't call it a noir (or neo-noir) even with all the voiceovers and the alienated lead male--it lacks the other element of pure style, which this functional movie avoids too well.