Croupier

Our next Rialto Recommends is the film that made Clive Owen a star in the US and around the world. Produced and released in Britain in 1998, CROUPIER was not released in the United States until 2000 and it wasn't until the US release that the film attracted much notice or acclaim. Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) 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. The writer slumming for human truths and real experience is a common enough story, but this cool-headed and slick thriller provides a gut-churningly compelling backdrop to a look at our darker sides. Rolling Stone raved "CROUPIER is taut, tense and enthralling, as smart and surprising as its protagonist." While Newsweek declared "Coolly hypnotic, the lean British sleeper CROUPIER is a reminder that movies don't have to wave their arms and scream to hold our attention." A movie we have wanted to recommend for months, CROUPIER is finally available to stream on Fubo, Hoopla, Showtime and DirectTV. It is also now available to rent for modest fee from Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Apple, Vudu and others.