Mississippi Grind

I am not a good gambler. The few times i play poker, i always end up losing. So, there is no chance you will see me win big time at any Casino. I rather bet on football or hockey instead, at least i get some profit there, eventually. Playing to win money is hard, you need to know the system, and know that you bet smart. I did win 50 euros once on a slot machine, but i consider that to be luck only. Gambling can be fun, if you know how to control yourself. But if you have problems with money, gambling can destroy you. It is like an addiction, just like being an addict to alcohol or drugs. Everyday, you have people loosing everything they own, because of gambling addiction. This is a really big problem worldwide, and it will never stop. So how can we stop people from destroying their lives ? It is a hard question. Because adults can play whatever they want, and you can´t really stop them, unless you have a good reason for not letting them in. When it comes to films, based on gambling, we have plenty of choices to choose between. Instead of writing some examples, let us talk about Mark Wahlberg´s film The Gambler. This was a remake of the 1974 film, of the same name. I actually enjoyed this remake, simply because i felt that the portrait of this gambler, felt belivable. Mark Wahlberg did one of his better performances in this film, for quite some time. Unfortunately the film was never seen by a big audience, but i suggest you rent it. Hopefully it will be on Netflix, so more people might notice the film. I usually don´t look out for gambling films, simply because we don´t see these types of films come out very often. But when i read about Mississippi Grind, i had a feeling that this could be interesting. With Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds in the lead roles, i felt some hope for this film. Considering that The Gambler managed to deliver an important message on gambling addiction, is this finally a worthy film in this genre ? Or is this a film that completely misses the mark on addiction ?

Gambler Gerry ( Ben Mendelsohn ) is not having a good day. He have no money to pay for his loaned money, all lost in poker games and gambling in sports. In fact, he needs to get money as soon as possible, or he is going to be a dead man. One night, he meet Curtis ( Ryan Reynolds ), who is also a gambler. Curtis have noticed that Gerry knows how to play poker, so they decide to go on a road trip. They will travel to play different poker events, and casinos, to try and make lots of money. Everything seems to start off well, but since they don´t really know each other very well, is this trip going to be what they expected, or are they doomed to fail ?

I love it when you don´t expect much, and find out that the film you have just seen, is much better than you expected. Mississippi Grind is the best gambling drama film i have seen for many years. This is a really well made story, about 2 people, who have very different backgrounds, but decide to take chances. Their highway journey, to play poker tournaments and casino´s, is filled with fantastic acting, and some unexpected surprises. Lead actors Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds are so damn good as their characters, you simply love every dialogue scene with them. You might think that Mississippi Grind is all about gambling addiction, it is not. This is also a story about not being afraid, to take chances, even if you might loose everything you own. Ben Mendelsohn, who i know mostly from the Netflix series Bloodline, and of course in the masterpiece The Place Beyond The Pines. He really know how to make his characters feel honestly portrayed, and to show how an gambling addict can behave in different situation. Ryan Reynolds actually does one of his best acting performances so far, as the kind , and confident gambler, who at least know his limits. Mississippi Grind is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, mostly known as the writers of the Ryan Gosling film Half Nelson. They also directed the comedy-drama It´s Kind Of A Funny Story. It would not be fare to compare to their previous work, but i can tell you that Mississippi Grind is their best film so far. They manage to show us so many different situations, how one gambling addicts life can be like. You also get a sense that they are trying to let us look at these 2 individuals from different angles. In some moments, they are having a great time, but as the addiction kicks in, problems become more obvious. If you are not interesting in gambling, or in drama films based on addiction problems, i doubt that this is something you would be interested to see. However, if you love really good acting performances, and a really good plot included, my best advice is to see Mississippi Grind. This is one of those films you can watch again, and not get tired of it, simply because it is that good. By the way, the blues songs in this film fit perfect into the inviroment. Maybe i should sit down at a poker table just for fun ? If i loose, i will at least have whisky to please me. Rounds up people!

Rating: DDDD