Croupier (1998)

I would have thought the main reason for using narration in a film was to help the audience understand what was happening on screen. "Croupier" uses narration, in fact, it is a key element in the movie however, it clarifies very little and actually makes parts of the film even harder to follow.

What a dull film. The characters failed to engage me, seemed to be just bumbling along through life without a care or any real plot.

If Clive Owen is indeed interested in being the next James Bond then "Croupier" could very well be his calling card. This fascinating, stylish, slick thriller is James Bond Lite - the "hero" isn't a super-suave, womanizing secret agent...

I enjoyed watching this but it wasn't anything fantastic. The main character is flat and a bit too two dimensional, not much of a person.

Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is a struggling writer. His dad refers him for a job as a croupier in the Golden Lion Casino.

This was the first film I saw with Clive Owen in it, and it was love at first sight. He does an excellent job in a role as a down-on-his-luck writer.

Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer who can't think what to write about. His father, a gambler, tells him he has managed to get him an interview at a London casino.