Croupier (2000)

Croupier, directed by Mike Hodges (''Get Carter''), is so sharp and dryly urbane in its mod-Brit take on the noir, noir, noir, noir world of gambling, dames, and pulp fiction, it makes higher-profile attempts like ''Rounders'' look blah, blah, blah, blah. Cowritten by Hodges and ''The Man Who Fell to Earth'''s Paul Mayersberg, this coiled-spring story about Jack (Clive Owen), a writer who returns to his old job as a casino croupier, reveals a David Mamet-like obsession with chance and double-dealing but ditches Mamet's dialogue tics.

Jack thinks highly of his skills -- he loves to watch people lose money -- but he gets too cocky when he begins to live through the eyes of Jake, his literary alter ego. As an enigma passing as a boyfriend, Owen (''Bent'') is superb. Incidentally, ''Croupier'' inexplicably took two years to find an American distributor. Shooting Gallery also recently released ''Judy Berlin'' and ''Adrenaline Drive'' -- three strong indies -- so look for its logo.

You Might Also Like

• Movie Review Croupier (Apr 21, 2000) | Lisa Schwarzbaum
• Movie News Raw Dealer (Apr 21, 2000) | Gillian Flynn
• Hot Topic Here's the year's first Oscar controversy (Apr 21, 2000) | Lisa Schwarzbaum
• Hot Topic Why the best summer movies may not be the biggest (Jul 14, 2000) | Lisa Schwarzbaum
• Hot Topic Here's a preview of the summer's breakout film stars (2000) | Lisa Schwarzbaum
• Movie Review Shoot 'Em Up (Sep 07, 2007) | Owen Gleiberman