'Ballad Of A Small Player' review: Colin Farrell knows you can bet on him

Netflix

C'mon dude, the "no" in casino stands for "No, do not fall for the treacherous siren call of gambling". Maybe reading is for losers, though, which is why we're watching Ballad Of A Small Player, a film adaptation of Lawrence Osborne's novel 'The Ballad Of A Small Player'—insane title change, I know. Colin Farrell stars as Lord Doyle who's an alcoholic gambler causing mischief in Macau. We learn that Doyle may have reinvented himself as a wealthy English aristocrat due to some unpaid debts and he's hanging on by a thread because the figurative and literal debt collectors such as one named Blithe (Tilda Swinton) are catching up to him. With baccarat as his specialty, Doyle finds his seemingly final shot at getting out of this situation when he meets and connects with Dao Ming (Chen Fala), a casino employee who might lead Doyle towards redemption.

Grabbing the viewer's attention isn't an issue at all as director Edward Berger is very much indulging in the visual pomp that the location offers, whilst Farrell's portrayal of Doyle's fake-it-til-you-make-it attitude matches the production values with its entertainment value. The actor gives the movie what it needs throughout, and both Chen and Swinton are solid sparring partners, but the real star of the picture is, well, the pictures. Cinematographer James Friend goes all out here—or all in, rather—which fits the superfluous lifestyle depicted on screen. Strong choices and details in terms of colour are the obvious hooks, but the camera movement, placement and gorgeous lighting are all top-notch without ever losing sight of Farrell's expressive face. Jonathan Houlding's production design and Lisy Christl's costume design aren't caught slacking either, and Berger uses all of these elements to his advantage.

What's disappointing is that while the images are stunning, the storytelling becomes a headache. On the surface, writer Rowan Joffe's script and the film in general are dealing with addiction, suicidal tendencies, superstition and greed. But after a solid introduction, Joffe and Berger, for lack of a better expression, lose the plot entirely, as if so much of the focus was on imagery that no one had time for themes and character depth anymore. The topics mentioned above are indeed just floating around, there's no compelling exploration of any of them and the story's rhythm hits a wall after 20 minutes or so, and every scene that follows keeps on meandering.

From there on, "Ballad" limps towards the finish line like a three-legged turtle, until a somewhat okay grand finale releases us from the boredom. Not only are you wondering this entire time what the filmmakers were attempting to say, if anything at all, but you're also confused about the intentions in regards to genre and tone. As a hyper-stylised yet generic dramedy about a terrible man's road to redemption, it's perfectly decent for a moment. But once the story tries to tackle psychological or supernatural drama, it falls like a house of cards because the characters aren't very layered or complex, and the supernatural stuff is just so dull. Even the connection between Doyle and Dao Ming is bland, and you're not sure if Joffe and Berger are trying to present it as a love story since the actors and characters have neither romantic nor platonic chemistry.

Ballad Of A Small Player is without a doubt beautiful to gaze at, but behind the pretty exterior, there's nothing meaningful to take away from it and hence it is a chore to get through. You probably shouldn't bet your money on the film having a strong legacy.

Smileys: Cinematography, lighting

Frowneys: Story, pacing, tone

Doyle was as drunk as a lord last night.

2.0/5

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