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Croupier

Croupier

Drama · Thriller · 1998

Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer who to make ends meet, takes a job as a croupier. Jack remains an observer, knowing that everything in life is a gamble and that gamblers are born to lose. Inevitably, he gets sucked into the world of the casino which takes its toll on his relationships and the novel he is writing.

Movie details

Croupier

“Life's a gamble...”

1998 Drama · Thriller 1h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer who to make ends meet, takes a job as a croupier. Jack remains an observer, knowing that everything in life is a gamble and that gamblers are born to lose. Inevitably, he gets sucked into the world of the casino which takes its toll on his relationships and the novel he is writing.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Croupier?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.

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A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.

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13

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mike Hodges

Written by

Paul Mayersberg

Clive Owen

Clive Owen

Jack Manfred

Kate Hardie

Kate Hardie

Bella

Alex Kingston

Alex Kingston

Jani De Villiers

Gina McKee

Gina McKee

Marion Nell

Nicholas Ball

Nicholas Ball

Jack Snr.

Alexander Morton

Alexander Morton

David Reynolds

Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds

Matt

Court is in session

Put Croupier on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.