Croupier
Starring:Clive Owen, Nick Reding, Nicholas Ball, Alexander Morton, Barnaby Kay, Gina McKee, John Radcliffe, Sheila Whitfield, David Hamilton (III), Carol Davis, Eddie Osei, Doremy Vernon, Claudine Carter, Ursula Alberts, Neville Phillips, Paul Reynolds, Kate Hardie, Ozzie Yue, Joanna E. Drummond, Manfred Heiden
Director: Mike Hodges
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Suffering from a bad case of writer's block, author Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) sits in his London flat, staring at an empty computer screen and trying to find the words to narrate his meandering life. Reluctantly Jack accepts a job from his absentee father (Nicholas Ball) at a second-rate casino as a dealer, or croupier, a job he once held in South Africa. His immersion back into this world is intoxicating, thanks primarily to the power he holds over his nightly clientele. Jack is a straight arrow on the floor (unlike his coworkers) but the whisper of an inside-job robbery makes his life suddenly more intriguing, as do the women who begin to drift into his life: a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie) and an alluring gambler (Alex Kingston). Suddenly, Jack finds his own life is his best book material. There's something visceral about watching the world of gambling, and director Mike Hodges (who directed the original Get Carter) taps into this allure; Jack's simple croupier tryout--handling cards and chips with skill and grace--is as captivating as most action scenes in big popcorn films. In the end, this little film, which went on to become an art-house hit, is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. --Doug Thomas
Description
All bets are off in London's gambling world when struggling writer Jack Manfred (Gosford Park's Clive Owen) accepts his father's offer of a job as a croupier, out the cards of fate and fortune each night to casino patrons. As his relationship with his girlfriend, Marion (Notting Hill's Gina McKee), suffers from the strain of his new job, Jack finds his eye roving to a seductive gambler, Jani (ER's Alex Kingston), who lures him into a dangerous robbery scheme with Jack positioned as the inside man. A critical and commercial smash, this delicious British thriller from director Mike Hodges (Get Carter) and writer Paul Mayersberg (The Last Samurai) is a solid winner from start to finish!
Average customer rating:
- Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary
- Solid British Thriller
- The roll of dice
- Clive Owen at this best!
- A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair
|
Croupier
Starring: Clive Owen , Nick Reding , Nicholas Ball , Alexander Morton , and Barnaby Kay
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
 General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Crime & Criminals
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Mystery & Thriller
| By Genre
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Artists & Writers
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Psychological Drama
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Suspense
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Mystery
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Crime
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| By Genre
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Germany
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Ball, Nicholas
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hardie, Kate
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Owen, Clive
| ( O )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Reynolds, Paul
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hodges, Mike
| ( H )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
Drama
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Germany
| European Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| By Genre
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Crime
| By Theme
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
DVDs Under $14.99
| Today's Deals in DVD
| Special Features
| DVD
| Video
( C )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
- Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2
- Greenfingers
- Bent
- Beyond Borders (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B0001BKACG
Release Date: 2004-03-09 |
Amazon.com
Suffering from a bad case of writer's block, author Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) sits in his London flat, staring at an empty computer screen and trying to find the words to narrate his meandering life. Reluctantly Jack accepts a job from his absentee father (Nicholas Ball) at a second-rate casino as a dealer, or croupier, a job he once held in South Africa. His immersion back into this world is intoxicating, thanks primarily to the power he holds over his nightly clientele. Jack is a straight arrow on the floor (unlike his coworkers) but the whisper of an inside-job robbery makes his life suddenly more intriguing, as do the women who begin to drift into his life: a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie) and an alluring gambler (Alex Kingston). Suddenly, Jack finds his own life is his best book material. There's something visceral about watching the world of gambling, and director Mike Hodges (who directed the original Get Carter) taps into this allure; Jack's simple croupier tryout--handling cards and chips with skill and grace--is as captivating as most action scenes in big popcorn films. In the end, this little film, which went on to become an art-house hit, is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. --Doug Thomas
Description
All bets are off in London's gambling world when struggling writer Jack Manfred (Gosford Park's Clive Owen) accepts his father's offer of a job as a croupier, out the cards of fate and fortune each night to casino patrons. As his relationship with his girlfriend, Marion (Notting Hill's Gina McKee), suffers from the strain of his new job, Jack finds his eye roving to a seductive gambler, Jani (ER's Alex Kingston), who lures him into a dangerous robbery scheme with Jack positioned as the inside man. A critical and commercial smash, this delicious British thriller from director Mike Hodges (Get Carter) and writer Paul Mayersberg (The Last Samurai) is a solid winner from start to finish!
Customer Reviews:
Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary.......2007-04-21
Nine years after its production, 'Croupier' is now remembered as the vehicle which shot Clive Owen into movie stardom...and rightfully so. He's mesmerizing here in Mike Hodges' taut adaptation of Paul Mayersberg's beguiling script. Mayersberg received an Edgar Allan Poe nomination for Best Screenplay. [NOTE: Amazon's sister site IMDB - in a delightfully goofy phonetic slip-up - notes that the Poe Awards "honor the achievements of writers in the field of mystery at all."]
Mayersberg's tale features layers of intricacies, secret deals, snitches, stories within stories, all presented to you by a narrator (Owen's Jack Manfred) who may or may not be leveling with you. Like countless others, I scrambled online to see if the IMDB chatboards would lead to a bit of resolution. The prevailing opinion there is that Mayersberg and Hodges have deliberately left some things subject to interpretation. Apparently, this conclusion is reinforced by the Director's commentary. One reviewer noted that re-watching Croupier with Hodges' commentary was "like watching an entirely different film." Unfortunately, we had a DVD without that track. My recommendation is to make sure you rent/buy the version of the product that comes with that DVD extra.
Solid British Thriller.......2007-01-26
Croupier's protagonist (Clive Owen, in a very interesting performance in his pre-fame days) is a taciturn, unsuccessful writer living in London, who at the instigation of his father accepts a job as a croupier in a casino. He takes the job in order to write a novel about it, in which he can watch this particular milieu from above, in a detached and superior position. In the casino he meets a number of people, including the troubled Bella (Kate Hardie, in my view, the movie's most compelling character). Other character, the gambler Jani (Alex Kingston) will eventually involve him in a plot to rob the place. This movie let us know more details about the gambling business that we may be interested to know, and the final twist doesn't really hold water, making the movie end in a somewhat disappointing note, but all in all this is a solid, unusual thriller.
The roll of dice.......2007-01-06
Incredible film. It's about a man who knows how seductive the spin of the roulette wheel can be, and tries his best not to be seduced by the throw of dice. And then comes the ending, and you realise that either way he loses out. Brilliant stuff.
Clive Owen at this best!.......2007-01-05
This was one of Clive Owen's first starring roles (to be more precise, his second official top bill). It also stands up as one of his best yet. Although somewhat obscure and fairly unknown, this is one movie that Owen fans should get ahold of an add to their collection!
Clive Owen plays Jack Manfred, an aspiring writer who is hounded by his father to find a decent job. With the writing gig not quite working out for him (writer's block surely doesn't help), he finally takes one of those leads and becomes a croupier (dealer) at a local casino. What he uncovers and encounters fascinates him, though certainly it could have appalled anyone. This might be the start of a new book, finally stimulating his creative talents once again, while at the same time earning a good reputation at the blackjack tables as one heck of a croupier. Toss in a mysterious woman (Alex Kingston of "ER" fame [she played Dr. Corday]), and his concerned girlfriend, and you have a strange mix of intrigue and drama, with much depth and flavor.
It does have an R-rating, mainly for language, nudity, drug use and violence. There is nothing quite gory about the film, the language is not a constant string of 4-letter words, the nudity is brief and the drug use fairly minor. Still, be wary if you are offended by any of these items or if you were debating showing the film to anyone impressionable. Overall, though, this is a fantastic movie that delivers drama, some minor action, and a great deal of intrigue. It isn't preachy enough to be over anyone's head and it never gets too side-tracked by trying to fit into any one genre. Fans of Clive Owen, Alex Kingston, drama, intrigue, gambling, or suspense movies should definitely add this one to their collection.
A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair.......2006-12-07
When Clive Owen's name was bandied about to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, the only word I could think of to describe Owen was "meathead." Having now seen "Croupier," I understand a bit more why he was considered, as it's fairly clear that the 007 from the opening casino scenes in "Dr. No" was a model for Owen's look and performance here, right down to the way he dangles his cigarette. Still, he lacks that final ingredient of panache, looking a bit more like a slightly less dopey but more hairy Nicholas Cage than a young Connery. His sociopathic performance here, too, lacks significant depth, though it is appropriate for the muted goings on that is "Croupier's" plot. As a frustrated writer searching for his muse, Owen's Jack is pulled into myriad scenes depicting the sad state of the controlled and controlling that comprises the gambling world, itself a thinly veiled metaphor for society in general. The first half of the film may remind viewers of "Fight Club" in both tone and execution; by the time the story takes some twists -- at least one unexpected -- it seems a different animal. The performances here are good, especially from Alex Kingston, whose South African accent and desire to get naked are both plusses. But by the middle of the film, it's not clear whether what we are seeing is real or some fantasy conjured up by "Jake," Jack's steely alter ego. In the end, it doesn't seem to matter, as "Croupier" reaches for and basically attains the sort of muddled climax that intellectuals find thought provoking. If you've seen enough of these things, you won't be surprised.
Average customer rating:
- Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary
- Solid British Thriller
- The roll of dice
- Clive Owen at this best!
- A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair
|
Croupier
Starring: Clive Owen , Nick Reding , Nicholas Ball , Alexander Morton , and Barnaby Kay
Director: Mike Hodges
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Ball, Nicholas
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hardie, Kate
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Owen, Clive
| ( O )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Reynolds, Paul
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hodges, Mike
| ( H )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
( C )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
- Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2
- Greenfingers
- Bent
- Beyond Borders (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B000065KCD |
Amazon.com
Suffering from a bad case of writer's block, author Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) sits in his London flat, staring at an empty computer screen and trying to find the words to narrate his meandering life. Reluctantly Jack accepts a job from his absentee father (Nicholas Ball) at a second-rate casino as a dealer, or croupier, a job he once held in South Africa. His immersion back into this world is intoxicating, thanks primarily to the power he holds over his nightly clientele. Jack is a straight arrow on the floor (unlike his coworkers) but the whisper of an inside-job robbery makes his life suddenly more intriguing, as do the women who begin to drift into his life: a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie) and an alluring gambler (Alex Kingston). Suddenly, Jack finds his own life is his best book material. There's something visceral about watching the world of gambling, and director Mike Hodges (who directed the original Get Carter) taps into this allure; Jack's simple croupier tryout--handling cards and chips with skill and grace--is as captivating as most action scenes in big popcorn films. In the end, this little film, which went on to become an art-house hit, is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. --Doug Thomas
Album Description
Import only NTSC/Region 1 DVD. 1998 film directed by Mikewriter who gets more than he bargained for when he takes a job at a casino in order to gather material for a novel. As he falls deeper into his life as a dealer, he finds himself becoming the wretch
Customer Reviews:
Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary.......2007-04-21
Nine years after its production, 'Croupier' is now remembered as the vehicle which shot Clive Owen into movie stardom...and rightfully so. He's mesmerizing here in Mike Hodges' taut adaptation of Paul Mayersberg's beguiling script. Mayersberg received an Edgar Allan Poe nomination for Best Screenplay. [NOTE: Amazon's sister site IMDB - in a delightfully goofy phonetic slip-up - notes that the Poe Awards "honor the achievements of writers in the field of mystery at all."]
Mayersberg's tale features layers of intricacies, secret deals, snitches, stories within stories, all presented to you by a narrator (Owen's Jack Manfred) who may or may not be leveling with you. Like countless others, I scrambled online to see if the IMDB chatboards would lead to a bit of resolution. The prevailing opinion there is that Mayersberg and Hodges have deliberately left some things subject to interpretation. Apparently, this conclusion is reinforced by the Director's commentary. One reviewer noted that re-watching Croupier with Hodges' commentary was "like watching an entirely different film." Unfortunately, we had a DVD without that track. My recommendation is to make sure you rent/buy the version of the product that comes with that DVD extra.
Solid British Thriller.......2007-01-26
Croupier's protagonist (Clive Owen, in a very interesting performance in his pre-fame days) is a taciturn, unsuccessful writer living in London, who at the instigation of his father accepts a job as a croupier in a casino. He takes the job in order to write a novel about it, in which he can watch this particular milieu from above, in a detached and superior position. In the casino he meets a number of people, including the troubled Bella (Kate Hardie, in my view, the movie's most compelling character). Other character, the gambler Jani (Alex Kingston) will eventually involve him in a plot to rob the place. This movie let us know more details about the gambling business that we may be interested to know, and the final twist doesn't really hold water, making the movie end in a somewhat disappointing note, but all in all this is a solid, unusual thriller.
The roll of dice.......2007-01-06
Incredible film. It's about a man who knows how seductive the spin of the roulette wheel can be, and tries his best not to be seduced by the throw of dice. And then comes the ending, and you realise that either way he loses out. Brilliant stuff.
Clive Owen at this best!.......2007-01-05
This was one of Clive Owen's first starring roles (to be more precise, his second official top bill). It also stands up as one of his best yet. Although somewhat obscure and fairly unknown, this is one movie that Owen fans should get ahold of an add to their collection!
Clive Owen plays Jack Manfred, an aspiring writer who is hounded by his father to find a decent job. With the writing gig not quite working out for him (writer's block surely doesn't help), he finally takes one of those leads and becomes a croupier (dealer) at a local casino. What he uncovers and encounters fascinates him, though certainly it could have appalled anyone. This might be the start of a new book, finally stimulating his creative talents once again, while at the same time earning a good reputation at the blackjack tables as one heck of a croupier. Toss in a mysterious woman (Alex Kingston of "ER" fame [she played Dr. Corday]), and his concerned girlfriend, and you have a strange mix of intrigue and drama, with much depth and flavor.
It does have an R-rating, mainly for language, nudity, drug use and violence. There is nothing quite gory about the film, the language is not a constant string of 4-letter words, the nudity is brief and the drug use fairly minor. Still, be wary if you are offended by any of these items or if you were debating showing the film to anyone impressionable. Overall, though, this is a fantastic movie that delivers drama, some minor action, and a great deal of intrigue. It isn't preachy enough to be over anyone's head and it never gets too side-tracked by trying to fit into any one genre. Fans of Clive Owen, Alex Kingston, drama, intrigue, gambling, or suspense movies should definitely add this one to their collection.
A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair.......2006-12-07
When Clive Owen's name was bandied about to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, the only word I could think of to describe Owen was "meathead." Having now seen "Croupier," I understand a bit more why he was considered, as it's fairly clear that the 007 from the opening casino scenes in "Dr. No" was a model for Owen's look and performance here, right down to the way he dangles his cigarette. Still, he lacks that final ingredient of panache, looking a bit more like a slightly less dopey but more hairy Nicholas Cage than a young Connery. His sociopathic performance here, too, lacks significant depth, though it is appropriate for the muted goings on that is "Croupier's" plot. As a frustrated writer searching for his muse, Owen's Jack is pulled into myriad scenes depicting the sad state of the controlled and controlling that comprises the gambling world, itself a thinly veiled metaphor for society in general. The first half of the film may remind viewers of "Fight Club" in both tone and execution; by the time the story takes some twists -- at least one unexpected -- it seems a different animal. The performances here are good, especially from Alex Kingston, whose South African accent and desire to get naked are both plusses. But by the middle of the film, it's not clear whether what we are seeing is real or some fantasy conjured up by "Jake," Jack's steely alter ego. In the end, it doesn't seem to matter, as "Croupier" reaches for and basically attains the sort of muddled climax that intellectuals find thought provoking. If you've seen enough of these things, you won't be surprised.
![Croupier [Region 2]](http://www.germanelectronics88.com/noimage.gif)
Average customer rating:
- Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary
- Solid British Thriller
- The roll of dice
- Clive Owen at this best!
- A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair
|
Croupier [Region 2]
Starring: Clive Owen , Nick Reding , Nicholas Ball , Alexander Morton , and Barnaby Kay
Director: Mike Hodges
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Ball, Nicholas
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hardie, Kate
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Owen, Clive
| ( O )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Reynolds, Paul
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hodges, Mike
| ( H )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
( C )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
- Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2
- Greenfingers
- Bent
- Beyond Borders (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B00005AFNT |
Amazon.com
Suffering from a bad case of writer's block, author Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) sits in his London flat, staring at an empty computer screen and trying to find the words to narrate his meandering life. Reluctantly Jack accepts a job from his absentee father (Nicholas Ball) at a second-rate casino as a dealer, or croupier, a job he once held in South Africa. His immersion back into this world is intoxicating, thanks primarily to the power he holds over his nightly clientele. Jack is a straight arrow on the floor (unlike his coworkers) but the whisper of an inside-job robbery makes his life suddenly more intriguing, as do the women who begin to drift into his life: a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie) and an alluring gambler (Alex Kingston). Suddenly, Jack finds his own life is his best book material. There's something visceral about watching the world of gambling, and director Mike Hodges (who directed the original Get Carter) taps into this allure; Jack's simple croupier tryout--handling cards and chips with skill and grace--is as captivating as most action scenes in big popcorn films. In the end, this little film, which went on to become an art-house hit, is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. --Doug Thomas
Album Description
Import only NTSC/Region 1 DVD. 1998 film directed by Mikewriter who gets more than he bargained for when he takes a job at a casino in order to gather material for a novel. As he falls deeper into his life as a dealer, he finds himself becoming the wretch
Customer Reviews:
Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary.......2007-04-21
Nine years after its production, 'Croupier' is now remembered as the vehicle which shot Clive Owen into movie stardom...and rightfully so. He's mesmerizing here in Mike Hodges' taut adaptation of Paul Mayersberg's beguiling script. Mayersberg received an Edgar Allan Poe nomination for Best Screenplay. [NOTE: Amazon's sister site IMDB - in a delightfully goofy phonetic slip-up - notes that the Poe Awards "honor the achievements of writers in the field of mystery at all."]
Mayersberg's tale features layers of intricacies, secret deals, snitches, stories within stories, all presented to you by a narrator (Owen's Jack Manfred) who may or may not be leveling with you. Like countless others, I scrambled online to see if the IMDB chatboards would lead to a bit of resolution. The prevailing opinion there is that Mayersberg and Hodges have deliberately left some things subject to interpretation. Apparently, this conclusion is reinforced by the Director's commentary. One reviewer noted that re-watching Croupier with Hodges' commentary was "like watching an entirely different film." Unfortunately, we had a DVD without that track. My recommendation is to make sure you rent/buy the version of the product that comes with that DVD extra.
Solid British Thriller.......2007-01-26
Croupier's protagonist (Clive Owen, in a very interesting performance in his pre-fame days) is a taciturn, unsuccessful writer living in London, who at the instigation of his father accepts a job as a croupier in a casino. He takes the job in order to write a novel about it, in which he can watch this particular milieu from above, in a detached and superior position. In the casino he meets a number of people, including the troubled Bella (Kate Hardie, in my view, the movie's most compelling character). Other character, the gambler Jani (Alex Kingston) will eventually involve him in a plot to rob the place. This movie let us know more details about the gambling business that we may be interested to know, and the final twist doesn't really hold water, making the movie end in a somewhat disappointing note, but all in all this is a solid, unusual thriller.
The roll of dice.......2007-01-06
Incredible film. It's about a man who knows how seductive the spin of the roulette wheel can be, and tries his best not to be seduced by the throw of dice. And then comes the ending, and you realise that either way he loses out. Brilliant stuff.
Clive Owen at this best!.......2007-01-05
This was one of Clive Owen's first starring roles (to be more precise, his second official top bill). It also stands up as one of his best yet. Although somewhat obscure and fairly unknown, this is one movie that Owen fans should get ahold of an add to their collection!
Clive Owen plays Jack Manfred, an aspiring writer who is hounded by his father to find a decent job. With the writing gig not quite working out for him (writer's block surely doesn't help), he finally takes one of those leads and becomes a croupier (dealer) at a local casino. What he uncovers and encounters fascinates him, though certainly it could have appalled anyone. This might be the start of a new book, finally stimulating his creative talents once again, while at the same time earning a good reputation at the blackjack tables as one heck of a croupier. Toss in a mysterious woman (Alex Kingston of "ER" fame [she played Dr. Corday]), and his concerned girlfriend, and you have a strange mix of intrigue and drama, with much depth and flavor.
It does have an R-rating, mainly for language, nudity, drug use and violence. There is nothing quite gory about the film, the language is not a constant string of 4-letter words, the nudity is brief and the drug use fairly minor. Still, be wary if you are offended by any of these items or if you were debating showing the film to anyone impressionable. Overall, though, this is a fantastic movie that delivers drama, some minor action, and a great deal of intrigue. It isn't preachy enough to be over anyone's head and it never gets too side-tracked by trying to fit into any one genre. Fans of Clive Owen, Alex Kingston, drama, intrigue, gambling, or suspense movies should definitely add this one to their collection.
A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair.......2006-12-07
When Clive Owen's name was bandied about to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, the only word I could think of to describe Owen was "meathead." Having now seen "Croupier," I understand a bit more why he was considered, as it's fairly clear that the 007 from the opening casino scenes in "Dr. No" was a model for Owen's look and performance here, right down to the way he dangles his cigarette. Still, he lacks that final ingredient of panache, looking a bit more like a slightly less dopey but more hairy Nicholas Cage than a young Connery. His sociopathic performance here, too, lacks significant depth, though it is appropriate for the muted goings on that is "Croupier's" plot. As a frustrated writer searching for his muse, Owen's Jack is pulled into myriad scenes depicting the sad state of the controlled and controlling that comprises the gambling world, itself a thinly veiled metaphor for society in general. The first half of the film may remind viewers of "Fight Club" in both tone and execution; by the time the story takes some twists -- at least one unexpected -- it seems a different animal. The performances here are good, especially from Alex Kingston, whose South African accent and desire to get naked are both plusses. But by the middle of the film, it's not clear whether what we are seeing is real or some fantasy conjured up by "Jake," Jack's steely alter ego. In the end, it doesn't seem to matter, as "Croupier" reaches for and basically attains the sort of muddled climax that intellectuals find thought provoking. If you've seen enough of these things, you won't be surprised.
![Croupier [IMPORT]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21H4T8YG4VL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary
- Solid British Thriller
- The roll of dice
- Clive Owen at this best!
- A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair
|
Croupier [IMPORT]
Starring: Clive Owen , Nick Reding , Nicholas Ball , Alexander Morton , and Barnaby Kay
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Import
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Germany
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Crime & Criminals
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Mystery & Thriller
| By Genre
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Psychological Drama
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Crime
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Ball, Nicholas
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hardie, Kate
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Owen, Clive
| ( O )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Reynolds, Paul
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hodges, Mike
| ( H )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
General
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Germany
| European Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
( C )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
- Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2
- Greenfingers
- Bent
- Beyond Borders (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B00005NYFS
Release Date: 2001-12-18 |
Amazon.com
Suffering from a bad case of writer's block, author Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) sits in his London flat, staring at an empty computer screen and trying to find the words to narrate his meandering life. Reluctantly Jack accepts a job from his absentee father (Nicholas Ball) at a second-rate casino as a dealer, or croupier, a job he once held in South Africa. His immersion back into this world is intoxicating, thanks primarily to the power he holds over his nightly clientele. Jack is a straight arrow on the floor (unlike his coworkers) but the whisper of an inside-job robbery makes his life suddenly more intriguing, as do the women who begin to drift into his life: a fellow croupier (Kate Hardie) and an alluring gambler (Alex Kingston). Suddenly, Jack finds his own life is his best book material. There's something visceral about watching the world of gambling, and director Mike Hodges (who directed the original Get Carter) taps into this allure; Jack's simple croupier tryout--handling cards and chips with skill and grace--is as captivating as most action scenes in big popcorn films. In the end, this little film, which went on to become an art-house hit, is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. --Doug Thomas
Album Description
Import only NTSC/Region 1 DVD. 1998 film directed by Mikewriter who gets more than he bargained for when he takes a job at a casino in order to gather material for a novel. As he falls deeper into his life as a dealer, he finds himself becoming the wretch
Customer Reviews:
Get the DVD version with Mike Hodges' director's commentary.......2007-04-21
Nine years after its production, 'Croupier' is now remembered as the vehicle which shot Clive Owen into movie stardom...and rightfully so. He's mesmerizing here in Mike Hodges' taut adaptation of Paul Mayersberg's beguiling script. Mayersberg received an Edgar Allan Poe nomination for Best Screenplay. [NOTE: Amazon's sister site IMDB - in a delightfully goofy phonetic slip-up - notes that the Poe Awards "honor the achievements of writers in the field of mystery at all."]
Mayersberg's tale features layers of intricacies, secret deals, snitches, stories within stories, all presented to you by a narrator (Owen's Jack Manfred) who may or may not be leveling with you. Like countless others, I scrambled online to see if the IMDB chatboards would lead to a bit of resolution. The prevailing opinion there is that Mayersberg and Hodges have deliberately left some things subject to interpretation. Apparently, this conclusion is reinforced by the Director's commentary. One reviewer noted that re-watching Croupier with Hodges' commentary was "like watching an entirely different film." Unfortunately, we had a DVD without that track. My recommendation is to make sure you rent/buy the version of the product that comes with that DVD extra.
Solid British Thriller.......2007-01-26
Croupier's protagonist (Clive Owen, in a very interesting performance in his pre-fame days) is a taciturn, unsuccessful writer living in London, who at the instigation of his father accepts a job as a croupier in a casino. He takes the job in order to write a novel about it, in which he can watch this particular milieu from above, in a detached and superior position. In the casino he meets a number of people, including the troubled Bella (Kate Hardie, in my view, the movie's most compelling character). Other character, the gambler Jani (Alex Kingston) will eventually involve him in a plot to rob the place. This movie let us know more details about the gambling business that we may be interested to know, and the final twist doesn't really hold water, making the movie end in a somewhat disappointing note, but all in all this is a solid, unusual thriller.
The roll of dice.......2007-01-06
Incredible film. It's about a man who knows how seductive the spin of the roulette wheel can be, and tries his best not to be seduced by the throw of dice. And then comes the ending, and you realise that either way he loses out. Brilliant stuff.
Clive Owen at this best!.......2007-01-05
This was one of Clive Owen's first starring roles (to be more precise, his second official top bill). It also stands up as one of his best yet. Although somewhat obscure and fairly unknown, this is one movie that Owen fans should get ahold of an add to their collection!
Clive Owen plays Jack Manfred, an aspiring writer who is hounded by his father to find a decent job. With the writing gig not quite working out for him (writer's block surely doesn't help), he finally takes one of those leads and becomes a croupier (dealer) at a local casino. What he uncovers and encounters fascinates him, though certainly it could have appalled anyone. This might be the start of a new book, finally stimulating his creative talents once again, while at the same time earning a good reputation at the blackjack tables as one heck of a croupier. Toss in a mysterious woman (Alex Kingston of "ER" fame [she played Dr. Corday]), and his concerned girlfriend, and you have a strange mix of intrigue and drama, with much depth and flavor.
It does have an R-rating, mainly for language, nudity, drug use and violence. There is nothing quite gory about the film, the language is not a constant string of 4-letter words, the nudity is brief and the drug use fairly minor. Still, be wary if you are offended by any of these items or if you were debating showing the film to anyone impressionable. Overall, though, this is a fantastic movie that delivers drama, some minor action, and a great deal of intrigue. It isn't preachy enough to be over anyone's head and it never gets too side-tracked by trying to fit into any one genre. Fans of Clive Owen, Alex Kingston, drama, intrigue, gambling, or suspense movies should definitely add this one to their collection.
A Fairly Typical Arthouse Film with Some Flair.......2006-12-07
When Clive Owen's name was bandied about to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, the only word I could think of to describe Owen was "meathead." Having now seen "Croupier," I understand a bit more why he was considered, as it's fairly clear that the 007 from the opening casino scenes in "Dr. No" was a model for Owen's look and performance here, right down to the way he dangles his cigarette. Still, he lacks that final ingredient of panache, looking a bit more like a slightly less dopey but more hairy Nicholas Cage than a young Connery. His sociopathic performance here, too, lacks significant depth, though it is appropriate for the muted goings on that is "Croupier's" plot. As a frustrated writer searching for his muse, Owen's Jack is pulled into myriad scenes depicting the sad state of the controlled and controlling that comprises the gambling world, itself a thinly veiled metaphor for society in general. The first half of the film may remind viewers of "Fight Club" in both tone and execution; by the time the story takes some twists -- at least one unexpected -- it seems a different animal. The performances here are good, especially from Alex Kingston, whose South African accent and desire to get naked are both plusses. But by the middle of the film, it's not clear whether what we are seeing is real or some fantasy conjured up by "Jake," Jack's steely alter ego. In the end, it doesn't seem to matter, as "Croupier" reaches for and basically attains the sort of muddled climax that intellectuals find thought provoking. If you've seen enough of these things, you won't be surprised.
Average customer rating:
|
Croupier [IMPORT]
Starring: Nicholas Ball , Kate Hardie , Alex Kingston , Gina McKee , and Clive Owen
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Import [Generic]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Crime & Criminals
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Mystery & Thriller
| By Genre
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Artists & Writers
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Psychological Drama
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| By Genre
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Germany
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Pop
| Music Video & Concerts
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Rock & Roll
| Music Video & Concerts
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Crime
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Ball, Nicholas
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hardie, Kate
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Kingston, Alex
| ( K )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Mitra, Rhona
| ( M )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Owen, Clive
| ( O )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hodges, Mike
| ( H )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
Drama
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Germany
| European Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| By Genre
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Crime
| By Theme
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
( C )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
ASIN: B00005Y7HS
Release Date: 2001-12-18 |
Customer Reviews:
SLEEPER HIT OF 98.......2003-07-23
One of the top 3 films of the year in 2000. CROUPIER delivers. The writing is grade A and the acting is superb. Clive Owen plays Jack Manfred. You can see him in GOSFORD PARK and THE BOURNE IDENITY. He should've been nominated for his role in CROUPIER. He plays a writer looking for material for his first novel. Not getting anywhere he takes a job his father lands him at the casino. A life he is all to familiar with. Jack portrays the gambler's life only from the dealer's perspective. Looking for a way out he gets sucked right back in. Jack is a perfectionist, a natural, and he's always calculating the odds. Everyone knows, when gambling there are no guarantees, but what Jack learns is that, even that is not a guarantee. Forget about the overbudgeted overblown Hollywood films and check out the sleeper hit of the year. Easily one of my top 10 films of all time.
![Croupier (La Jugada) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21LvYo-863L.jpg)
Average customer rating:
|
Croupier (La Jugada) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]
Director: Mike Hodges
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Drama
| By Genre
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
Drama
| By Genre
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| By Genre
| Indie & Art House
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
ASIN: B000S9ZTHM |
DVD:
- Bizet - Carmen / Maazel, Migenes, Domingo
- The Road Home
- Peeping Tom - Criterion Collection
- King of New York (Special Edition)
- Savannah Smiles
- Open Your Eyes
- Strayed
- Homeless to Harvard - The Liz Murray Story
- Nashville
- Carandiru
DVD
DVD
DVD
The Mark of Zorro
House Of Cards
Little Women [Special Edition] [1995] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
DVD: Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy: Early Silent Classics,
Papillon