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Ballad of a Small Player is a visually hypnotic tale of addiction, alienation, and redemption. Directed by Edward Berger and starring Colin Farrell, it follows a self-styled British gambler spiraling through Macau's neon-lit casinos. The film's fusion of noir, psychological drama, and spiritual allegory turns the city itself into a haunting character. Farrell gives a magnetic performance, both desperate and dignified, embodying a "hungry ghost" consumed by endless desire. I enjoyed the story's atmosphere and Farrell's depth, though the side characters, especially Dao Ming, could have been more developed to balance his journey. While the plot leaves redemption ambiguous, the film's mood, visuals, and themes of cultural dislocation and craving make it a beautifully crafted exploration of loss and longing-less about winning and more about what's left when the gamble ends.

A three-time loser in Macau attempts to find some way to get into one last game and reverse his fortunes.

I avoided watching this the first time Netflix stuck it in my face. I'm honestly tired of this setup. How many times do we have to watch a gambling addict in a casino before we get to say, "Yeah, I get it"? But this one stars Colin Farrell, and he's been in some really great movies over the past decade or two. Who can forget In Bruges?

Speaking of Bruges, this is set in Macau, another exotic location if, like me, you've never done much travel. It's an interesting place, and it's a bit surprising that Macau doesn't show up in gambling movies more often. One thing you may notice is the vibrant colors, both because North Americans often seem to prefer more muted colors and because the director enjoys being stylistic.

There's a moral to this story, and it's not particularly subtle. It's not particularly hard to guess what it is, either. However, Farrell makes his loser more of a lovable rogue than many actors would probably be able to pull off given the protagonist's issues. When he finally bares his soul, it feels genuine. So, while the story isn't exactly a completely original one, it's pulled off with what I felt was enough talent that I remained interested.

That said, I pulled out my smartphone near the end because it seemed to be going well past the obvious stopping point. If you're interested in Chinese culture, you should find the climax interesting, though. It goes in a direction I wasn't quite expecting, which is always a nice thing in a gambling movie.

This part goes a bit more surreal, which I liked, but I felt it wasn't as original as it could have been, It seemed to take influence from American and Japanese psychological thrillers of the 1990s, which is cool but a bit played out these days.

I enjoyed Colin Farrell's acting. I'd say it's worth a watch if you're a fan. His love interest was also cool, though I didn't feel I got to know her too well. This seems mostly Farrell's show. Besides that, it's a fun watch if you like stylistic movies with a touch of surrealism.

I will no longer go off imbd user reviews anymore, we live in a time if there's no capes, no old grey haired men flying in the sky, or webs shooting out a boys A** the movie is disliked and labeled as a bad movie, this is why the box office blockbusters are crashing this movie was outstanding from start to finish Colin Farrell's range just keeps expanding his performance alone makes this movie and amazing watch I'm not going to say anything about the movie go see it for yourself and don't go off these reviews, don't even go of this review just watch this for yourself and you be the judge.

Loved the performances in this movie. The setting was perfect. Macau is beautifully depicted, not just as a backdrop but as part of the story itself. Well acted and filmed, with Colin Farrell and Fala Chen bringing real depth to their characters. Some shots in the movie are really nice, capturing both the glamour and the loneliness of Doyle's world. I liked the story and message as well, about chance, redemption, and the people we meet along the way.

Cannot understand the bad reviews. This is a beautiful movie about the conflict between impulse and addiction versus the struggle for redemption.

Yes, the dialogue isn't always strong, but the visual storytelling more than compensates. The cinematography beautifully captures the sense of melancholy and disorientation the character is going through.

Don't expect to be narrated every thing, meet the movie on its own terms, don't ignore the context laid in the background - after all the movie takes place during the Hungry Ghost Festival - and you will enjoy it.