Mississippi Grind review
The seedy side of gambling is forcefully brought home in this moody, bittersweet drama in which two gamblers test their luck as they drift along the casino circuit.
GAMBLERS. From left, Ben Mendelsohn as Gerry and Ryan Reynolds as Curtis. Picture: Ster-Kinekor
This often depressing tale is given a lift by the exceptional performances of its two lead characters, played by Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds, who give beautifully textured readings. Filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden combine their creative forces to fashion this intelligent and often scary look at gambling addiction and unlikely friendships. It’s about lost souls and how they travel the open highways of 1970s America.
Mendelsohn portrays Gerry, a desperate poker player who embarks on a high-stakes gambling trip through the South with his good-luck charm, Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), in tow.
The divorced Gerry is trying to restart his life by cracking the last, big hit. He owes a lot of money to a loan shark (Alfre Woodard) but he believes he can do it. In the deft hands of actor Ben Mendelsohn this pathetic character oozes an innate intensity which helps define his gambling obsession and his determination to challenge his fate. Reynolds is Curtis, a free-spirited risk-taker with no emotional baggage who has a handle on deals and knows exactly what he is doing. The interplay of fate and friendship is what makes this film so beguiling and if you can stay the course it has its just rewards.
