MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (10/2/15): MISSISSIPPI GRIND
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| "C'mon ... Please let this movie lead to roles where people quit mistaking me for Martin Freeman!" Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) prepares a roll of the dice while his newfound gambling buddy Curtis (Ryan Reynolds) looks on in a scene from MISSISSIPPI GRIND. Credit: Patti Perrett, courtesy of A24. |
WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn, Siena Miller, Annalee Tipton and Alfre Woodard
WRITER(S): Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
DIRECTOR(S): Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
WEB SITE: http://mississippigrind-movie.com/
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a down on his luck gambler. That's why his loan shark (Alfre Woodard) is threatening violence ... Against his cat. As luck (pun intended) would have it, Gerry thinks he's found the key to turning his fortunes around: Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), a younger gambler who talks a great game and hopefully has one, too.
Bolstered with a renewed energy, Gerry convinces Curtis to join him on a trip down the Mississippi River en route to a high stakes poker game in New Orleans. Will lady luck shine on them along the way ... Or will they end up rolling snake eyes – enjoying all these gambling clichés so far? – as they attempt to forge a friendship in the process?
Bolstered with a renewed energy, Gerry convinces Curtis to join him on a trip down the Mississippi River en route to a high stakes poker game in New Orleans. Will lady luck shine on them along the way ... Or will they end up rolling snake eyes – enjoying all these gambling clichés so far? – as they attempt to forge a friendship in the process?
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Ryan Reynolds fans; people who love the romanticized lovable loser; southern blues/rock/folk fans
WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN'T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who don't romanticize the ideas of luck or gambling; those who don't like character-driven movies when the character feels fairly one note/predictable
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? Mississippi Grind is like watching the World Series of Poker when you'd rather be in the World Series of Poker: It'll do for the dedicated player, but for the average movie fan, it might be best to fold before you find yourself pot committed with no winning cards in your hand.
Mendelsohn and Reynolds are fine as Gerry and Curtis ... However, "fine" isn't exactly what you'll be looking for as the film carries on, which is essentially an amalgam of just about every gambling story you've seen. There's nothing wrong with Mississippi Grind, but there's nothing inherently compelling about it, either. The tropes you'd expect – big wins, big losses, romance, regrets – are all there and no new ground is broken with any of them, which makes caring about/becoming emotionally invested in them as big a challenge as the ones they face. While writers/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck do a nice job taking their characters away from Las Vegas and showing the more blue collar settings – there's essentially what equates to a love letter to St. Louis at point – but after a while of watching Mendelsohn sigh and huff and Reynolds play an essentially low key version of himself, Mississippi Grind does just that to you: grind. The film does its best to try and get you think deeper about the obsession/addiction that runs Gerry's life while looking at how it has affected his relationships, but by the 45 minute mark, you might find yourself checking your watch more than his actions.
Overall, Mississippi Grind isn't a bad film, it's just not a great one by any means, either. It's the cinematic equivalent of going to an actual casino, for if you just want to break even, you'll enjoy it. If you want to walk away with a life-changing twist of fortune, you'll best be served to look elsewhere.
Mendelsohn and Reynolds are fine as Gerry and Curtis ... However, "fine" isn't exactly what you'll be looking for as the film carries on, which is essentially an amalgam of just about every gambling story you've seen. There's nothing wrong with Mississippi Grind, but there's nothing inherently compelling about it, either. The tropes you'd expect – big wins, big losses, romance, regrets – are all there and no new ground is broken with any of them, which makes caring about/becoming emotionally invested in them as big a challenge as the ones they face. While writers/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck do a nice job taking their characters away from Las Vegas and showing the more blue collar settings – there's essentially what equates to a love letter to St. Louis at point – but after a while of watching Mendelsohn sigh and huff and Reynolds play an essentially low key version of himself, Mississippi Grind does just that to you: grind. The film does its best to try and get you think deeper about the obsession/addiction that runs Gerry's life while looking at how it has affected his relationships, but by the 45 minute mark, you might find yourself checking your watch more than his actions.
Overall, Mississippi Grind isn't a bad film, it's just not a great one by any means, either. It's the cinematic equivalent of going to an actual casino, for if you just want to break even, you'll enjoy it. If you want to walk away with a life-changing twist of fortune, you'll best be served to look elsewhere.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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