Mississippi Grind (2015)

User Review

• 

  BarneyNuttall

  8 / 10

  This cerebral road trip movie strips away the glitz and glam of Vegas for a muddier gambling scene, from Iowa to Orleans. Both Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn are subtle in their performances, choosing the right moments to turn up the act-o-meter.
  
  One of my weak points are Vegas movies. From Casino to Ocean's Eleven, the setting is an instant win for me. But here, nothing could be more wrong than using Vegas. Our filmmakers vie for East America, as far away from Nevada as you can get. This reflects a difference in what our filmmakers are trying to do here.
  
  For, in most gambling movies, the House is the enemy. That mysterious eye in the sky which will draw you in to win only to make you lose. Here, Fleck and Boden shift their focus to the player's relationship with luck itself. Curts (Reynolds) could be symbolic of luck, something that the desperate Gerry (Mendelsohn) grips to with an iron grasp.
  
  This gambling movie stands alone form it's fellow players, instead of gambling on changing the game; a gamble that certainly pays off.

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