Despite Colin Farrell’s Charms, Ballad of a Small Player Offers Only a Modest Payoff

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Macau in the movies feels less like a real place and more like a dazzling, artificial world – all bright lights, sleek buildings, and casinos where you could lose everything. In Edward Berger’s new film, Ballad of a Small Player, Colin Farrell plays a man completely consumed by gambling, and he’s headed for a serious fall. He calls himself Lord Doyle, but it’s all a carefully constructed persona – a disguise he uses to move through the Macau casinos like he owns the place, complete with velvet jackets and silk scarves. But this image comes at a cost; he’s made some questionable choices to maintain it, and he’s currently on a terrible losing streak. The casinos have cut him off, and as he says in a shaky voiceover at the start, he’s a high roller spiraling out of control. The film follows his inevitable, and frankly unglamorous, descent.

As Doyle suffers a crushing defeat at the baccarat table – facing a surprisingly tough opponent in an elderly woman nicknamed Grandma, portrayed by Deanie Ip – a strikingly poised casino employee intervenes. Dao Ming (Fala Chen, who delivers a subtle and realistic performance) offers Doyle a loan with a high interest rate. He considers it briefly, then orders an expensive bottle of Cristal and leaves without paying. She watches him go with a touch of sadness, murmuring to Grandma that he seems lost, though Doyle rejects her sympathy.

Despite his independence, he’ll eventually need her assistance, and she’ll reappear when he does. (Like him, she’s also trying to make amends for past mistakes and settle outstanding debts.) At the same time, a meticulous bank investigator, portrayed by Tilda Swinton with striking red hair and practical shoes, confronts Doyle with a serious accusation: he’s not just a harmless gambler, but has committed crimes that harmed others. She relentlessly pursues him for a large sum of money he can’t afford, though even she, despite her strict dedication to her work and lack of personal joy, could benefit from a little forgiveness.

Colin Farrell gives a compelling performance as Doyle, portraying his anxieties with believable vulnerability, almost making us invested in his troubles. However, the film Ballad of a Small Player, adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s novel, relies too heavily on style over substance. It’s visually striking – think a brightly colored, almost cartoonish ice pop with a mix of turquoise and fuchsia – but this doesn’t compensate for a lack of a compelling story. While director John Berger previously delivered the thrilling Conclave, this film struggles to create real tension. There are moments of beauty, like a quiet scene between Doyle and Dao Ming overlooking Macau, that echo the dreamy atmosphere of Wong Kar Wai’s films. Unfortunately, even Farrell’s talent can’t overcome the excessive use of close-up shots. Ultimately, Ballad of a Small Player is only mildly enjoyable, its appeal as superficial as the glittering facade of the city it depicts.

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2025-10-29 23:06