Ballad of a Small Player is the textbook “one good watch” kind of movie
Courtesy of Netflix
Irish actor Colin Farrell is a familiar face on the big screen that gives powerful performances time and time again in critically acclaimed films—The Banshees of Inisherin, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster—and he continues to not disappoint in Netflix’s Ballad of a Small Player, expected to hit the streaming platform globally on October 29.
Courtesy of Netflix
Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell) is a Baccarat-obsessed, down-on-his-luck gambler hiding out in Macau. While his debts accrue and checkered past breathes heavily down his neck, he encounters Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a loan shark who we discover has many things in common with the sketchy, risk-taking protagonist. Ming becomes a lifeline for Doyle to get out from under the thumb of his mounting “tab.”
Doyle, referred to in the film as a “Gwai lo” or “Gweilo,” a Cantonese slang term for white people meaning “ghost man,” wears lucky yellow gloves that he claims to be “Saville Row’s finest.” These gloves become emblematic of the shallow, false persona he puts on at casinos and for his survival, which is inevitably dismantled as the film progresses. After all is revealed and we learn he has been on the run for quite some time, even faking his own death, a skillful and persistent Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) puts the pressure on Doyle to pay back money he stole from a wealthy old woman during his time in Ireland—that doesn’t even scratch the surface of other entanglements.
His apparent greed is masterfully shown and even characterized by a local tale that describes “hungry ghosts”—spirits with large mouths and thin, tiny necks never able to satiate their hunger. His slick demeanor and hollow quips are as empty as his pockets and make for an enjoyable edge-of-your-seat experience. This tale jumps from abrupt heart attacks to extreme downfalls to incredible triumph against the backdrop of an intentional visual dialogue.
Edward Berger’s (dir. of Conclave) seemingly accurate portrait of a sweaty gambler in this neon-hued, “last-chance” psychological caper, with the growing greed for good movies to watch, leaves the watcher satisfied—at least for one go.
This motion picture is apt for Netflix and has mastered the “one good watch.” Will you want to watch it a second time? Probably not. But it’s definitely something you’d want to recommend to a friend—not entirely knowing if it’s a sure bet that they’ll like it too.
