(This is Mississippi Grind film review, which is a drama film about gambling)
Much has been told about gambling and the ensuing moral lessons that come with it in many other films. However, Mississippi Grind seems to have a plan to have its own twist in the genre.
It is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the same duo who did Captain Marvel, and starred Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn, Sienna Miller, Analeigh Tipton, Robin Weigert, and Alfre Woodard. Without further ado, let’s delve into the Mississippi Grind film review below to see how well it does!
Premise
When two gamblers met one night, they found that they might have the best luck when doing it together. And so they traveled across the country, searching for casinos or any other methods to get rich. But behind each of them lies a past that seem to haunt them back. What will be their outcome?
Mississippi Grind Film Review
Premise
The story itself is actually nothing to brag about. This film does not try to introduce any big twists to the genre, neither does it strive to revolutionise the formula in the genre itself. So in that sense, the premise can be said to be a kind of run-of-the-mill type that can be seen in many other films. If judging on this category alone, this film would score a pretty low marks, as it does not bring any fresh ideas to the table. However, this film knows that and it purposefully uses a common scenario as its starting base, so that we could follow it easily and able to concentrate on the characters, which are the true trump cards here.
If judging on this category alone, this film would score a pretty low marks
Pacing
Pacing can be said to be quite slow in the middle portion as the characters repeat their endeavours in different places, often with similar results. Things are helped by scenes where they show the characters at their worst or vulnerable moments, which help divert our attentions onto the characters. And it gets better as the film gets near the end, where things start to roller coaster down into a single critical moment that would determine their fate.
Characters
This is the main course of the review, as this film heavily focuses on the characters themselves at the expense of other portions. Let’s start with Gerry, which is played by Ben Mendelsohn, he is a man who was riddled with gambling addiction that saw his family broken apart and his addiction becoming worse as days went past. Straight away, we could tell this man was a wreck, and his behaviours and mindset were that of a lost gambler who would bet their whole fortune on a few dice rolls. Ben did a good job portraying that desperation of wanting to win at all costs, even after winning many rounds, he would still dare to bet all in.
He was a character that is hard to be sympathised with, But he is a character that is so relatable to us
Gerry was shown to be a man that lacked morals, and many scenes and especially one shown when he met with his ex-wife, he was a character that is hard to be sympathised with. But he is a character that is so relatable to us because we have probably known someone who’s just like that. Gerry is a man that brings misfortunes upon himself and others by his own will and doing. A man that is so into an evil side, and yet he retained some sense of humanity that make us able to pity him just a bit.
While Curtis, who is played by Ryan Reynold, is more of a joker playboy who strived to help Gerry while also surprisingly more sane and disciplined than Gerry. He is a happy-go-lucky type that does not seem to care much about winning in any jackpot, and yet lady luck always favours him. In a sense of irony, we have a man who could always win in any bets but did not like to gamble much, and then we have a addicted gambler who was abandoned by the same lady luck herself. In the end, it was the interactions between the two contrasting characters that really bring out the emotions in us. We are able to see the backstory of each character and how they interact with other characters for reasons only they know.
Other characters play some good roles too in helping us view how the two main characters’ true personalities are like when they are left on their own journey.
Soundtrack
Soundtrack wise it’s full of oldies and jazz, especially with many scenes shown in either pub or bar. It really fits the mood and atmosphere in the movies, and brings out the loneliness, and wildness of the characters’ ambitions and journeys.
