Review: MISSISSIPPI GRIND, Gambling Movie with Ryan Reynolds - Sundance 2015

I'm a sucker for movies that are set in the world of poker and gambling. I'm just fascinated by the lifestyle, the adrenaline rush, and the addiction aspect that engulfs the people who are a part of that world. Things like that tend to make for interesting stories. Rounders is one of my favorites, and I'm always on the lookout for the next Rounders-type film.

Mississippi Grind is a movie that revolves around poker, and even though it's no Rounders, it gets pretty close - especially with its engaging story that involves interesting characters. 

The story follows a poker player named Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) that has a talent of reading the people he plays poker with. He's good at the game, but he also has an addiction problem, and he owes a lot of individuals around town a lot of money. The only problem is he doesn't have the money to pay them back, and his mental and physical well-being is threatened by this. 

The movie begins with Gerry joining a poker game, and while he's playing, a mysterious character named Curtis (Ryan Reynolds) buys into the game. Curtis is extremely charming and funny and Gerry is leery of him at first, but eventually ends up taking a liking to him. Turns out that Curtis is a guy who just travels, making his way through the world on one adventure after another. 

The two characters seem to hit it off, and Gerry convinces Curtis to spot him some money and hit the road for a high stakes poker game down south. If Gerry wins, they split the winnings and Gerry will be able to pay off his debtors. Gerry wants Curtis along for the ride because he believes that Curtis is his lucky charm, and Curtis being the adventurer that he is, happily obliges, and the journey begins. Along the way they stop off at smaller poker games to win the money that they need to enter the tournament.

The two have quite an interesting adventure together, and it had both its amusing and unsettling ups and downs. I really enjoyed spending time with these characters, getting to know them and seeing what made them tick. It was a fantastic character study, and it helped that the acting by the two main actors was top notch.

Reynolds has been out of the limelight with big blockbuster feature films recently, which is fine because he's been kicking ass in the indie film sector. He has consistently been giving solid performances in movies like this that a lot of people won't see him in. He'll be back in a big way with Deadpool though! As for Mendelsohn, he completely nails his character, and gives an amazing performance. He's mostly known as a character actor, but a role like this might just launch his career into a new stratosphere. At least I hope it does! Someone in Hollywood has to notice his talent and give him a shot in another great project.

If you like movies that deal with the subject matter of gambling, then this is a movie definitely worth checking out. I don't think it will get a wide theatrical release, but I'm sure it will eventually end up on VOD and Netflix.

The film was written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Here's the official description:

Gerry is a talented poker player, but his gambling habit is getting the best of him. One day, he meets a charismatic young traveler named Curtis. Deeming Curtis his lucky charm, Gerry convinces him that they should hit the road together. As they gamble their way down South toward a legendary high-stakes poker game in New Orleans, the trip’s highs and lows unveil the duo’s true character and motivation, and an undeniable bond forms between them.

Writers/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck return to the Sundance Film Festival (Half Nelson, Sugar) with an intoxicating story of compulsive gamblers that flawlessly captures the seedy world of small-time losers and dreamers. The film’s atmosphere of frenzied hope and paranoia at the various racetracks, bars, and casinos is suffused with an evocative soundtrack and enlivened by two pitch-perfect performances. Ryan Reynolds shines as the confident, jocular Curtis. But the film’s true revelation is Ben Mendelsohn, who, as Gerry, is finally given a leading role in an American film and crushes it. Mississippi Grind instantly joins the classic canon of films about gambling.
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