Did we learn nothing from “Rounders”? “The Card Counter”? “California Split” and “Mississippi Grind”? Gambling! It’s not for everyone!
But is it, in fact, for Lord Doyle? Well, that remains to be seen in Edward Berger’s upcoming return to Netflix, “Ballad of a Small Player.” Adapted from the 2014 Lawrence Osborne novel of the same name, Berger’s first post-“Conclave” feature follows Colin Farrell as said small player, the wonderfully (and seemingly falsely) named Lord Doyle, who is having a real tough time with this gambling thing. Perhaps he should have pursued a different sort of hobby.
Per the film‘s official synopsis: “Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell) is laying low in Macau — spending his days and nights on the casino floors, drinking heavily and gambling what little money he has left. Struggling to keep up with his fast-rising debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own. However, in hot pursuit is Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) — a private investigator ready to confront Doyle with what he is running from. As Doyle tries to climb to salvation, the confines of reality start to close in.”
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In the film’s first teaser, things sure aren’t looking too good for Farrell’s character, as he careens through the neon-accented environs of Macau, Las Vegas, and beyond. (Also, anytime Tilda Swinton is on your tail, it’s cause for alarm.) Things might be looking better for the star and his director, however, as the film readies for a TIFF world premiere, with other festival berths to be announced soon. Farrell will also be on hand to receive the Golden Icon Award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival.
The film isn’t just a reunion for Berger and the studio behind his previous smash hit “All Quiet on the Western Front,” it also sees him getting the band back together with much of the crew from that same film, including Academy Award-winning cinematographer James Friend and composer Volker Bertelmann.
Netflix will release the film in select U.S. theaters on Wednesday, October 15, with a streaming release to follow on Wednesday, October 29. Check out the film’s first teaser trailer below.
