starring Clive Owen, Alex Kingston
directed by Mike Hodges
94 minutes
Jack (Clive Owen) gets a job as a croupier at a casino. He wants to be a writer. He starts to write a book. Jack isn't supposed to socialize with women who work at the casino or customers of the casino but he breaks both of those rules. He has a girlfriend, Marion, but he gets involved with one of his coworkers, Bella, and one of the casino's customers, Jani (Alex Kingston). Marion used to be a cop. She wants him to write but she doesn't like what he produces. She doesn't like the affect his job has on him. Bella complicates his life somewhat. Jani complicates it even more.
I chose to watch this movie tonight because (a) I wanted to watch something on Netflix, (b) was on my watch list and has been there for years, (c) I haven't seen this movie before, (d) it wasn't terribly long, and (e) it is leaving Netflix soon.
I'm sure the narration by the main character won't speak to everyone but I liked it. It creates a second narrative that exists in parallel to Jack's life with Marion and his job at the casino. I really liked that. It makes the movie rewatchable.
I'm not sure about the ending. It leaves me with mixed feelings. It is a little too neat. I liked but didn't love the movie up to that point. The ending didn't make me like it more. I'm not sure if it is sloppy storytelling or just a little too smart for me. I'm leaning towards the former.
Notes
This is the first non-US English language film that I have seen this year. I am going to try to see more before the year is over and make them a regular part of my viewing schedule. How regular? I'm not sure but hopefully I will watch at least a half dozen this year.
Mike Hodges also directed Flash Gordon (1980).
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