Croupier

Mike Hodges' Croupier is definitely one of the more underrated titles of the 1990's. It's clever, it's witty and most importantly, it's damn good.

Clive Owen stars as Jack Manfred, a writer struggling to get his book published. Needing a job, he finds work in the form of a croupier at a local casino. There he comes across a whole sort of people, the kind that spark a writer's imagination.

The best way to describe Jack, not even kidding, is to compare him to James Bond. Both men are calm under pressure, collected when the going gets rough, and look damn good in a tuxedo. (No surprise Owen was in the running to play Bond when Casino Royale was in production.)

Had it not been for Paul Mayersberg's sly script, this film just would have failed on a miserable note. It's loaded with cunning moments and smart dialogue.Think of it as a spy movie minus the spies.

If it wasn't clear enough, Croupier is highly recommended. It's clever like the many caper movies of the 1960's but revamped for the 1990's. Seriously, go watch it and you can thank me later.

My Rating: *****