Mississippi Grind

With the picturesque road trip surrounds of the American South at its disposal and the unique pairing of Australian ex-pat Ben Mendelsohn and Deadpool himself Ryan Reynolds, Mississippi Grind comes off as a sadly low key disappointment that could've so easily become so much more.

Filmed by directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who are arguably most well known for the Ryan Gosling starring drama Half-Nelson, Grind is proficient and professional but it lacks a heart. A coldness inhabits the entire film that keeps the audience at arm's length from getting emotionally invested into our seemingly odd couple pairing of Mendelsohn's troubled gambler Gerry and the somewhat mysterious and kindly natured Curtis who Reynolds could've played in his sleep.

Frustrating would be the best way to describe the film for a lack of a better word and you're constantly left on a knifes edge waiting to learn more about our two main protagonists or for the film to truly hit an emotional home run but it sadly never comes despite a suitably tense final few scenes and the likable leads doing their utmost with their roles.

It may be broken record time but once more Grind see's Mendelsohn deliver another on song performance and it's great to see him given a lead turn in a Hollywood production. His Gerry isn't a totally likable human being and it's a character that see's Mendelsohn once more play to the downtrodden side of humanity but he does it so well that there's no reason for him to stop anytime soon and he creates chemistry with Reynolds that at times threatens to elevate the film to a whole new level yet sadly the narrative never goes to the ends needed for this to happen.

A fantastic chance to once more see Australia's very own Ben Mendelsohn ply his trade like the best of them in an overseas production and a film that's unique in many ways, Mississippi Grind is a fine movie that had it featured a little more heart and soul and a more meaty narrative, is a movie that could've been something truly special. A winning hand then, but in no way a big time jackpot.

3 kittens out of 5

Mississippi Grind is an independent drama film starring Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds. Mendelsohn plays Gerry, a joylessly committed gambler whose addiction to the tables in backwoods Iowa casinos has cost him his marriage, the chance to see his daughter grow up and his integrity. Further along into the film, we see a developing relationship between both leads. Curtis (Reynolds) is an enigmatic fellow poker player who shares his love of Woodford bourbon. The film is more of a character study slower paced drama which has a very anti-mainstream feel about it. Which is case in point where the film has been critically acclaimed by top critics but criticized for being boring by casual fans. Overall, Mississippi Grind is well acted, an interesting story for those interested in the world of gambling and addiction. Yet the film did leave questions open, and the ending could have been more developed. As a rewatch 11.27.20' very strong film. There are many subtle clues which noticed on this second viewing which made for more entertainment. This is a more mature given film.

Two powerful performances from Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds carry this gritty gambling flick. Mendelsohn is pitch perfect as Gerry, a lying and conniving compulsive gambler. Reynolds is also excellent as Curtis, a free-wheeling and gregarious guy, who meets and befriends Gerry at a poker room, in a Dubuque, Iowa casino.

They decide they will travel together down the Mississippi on a gambling odyssey, with the ultimate goal of playing in a high stakes poker game, in New Orleans. At times, the talented filmmaker duo of Ana Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson, Sugar) capture the tone of the gambling experience perfectly, while towards the end of the movie it enters fantasyland to some degree, in my opinion. There's even illustrations of the very dark masochistic tendencies that can be shown by a gambler, which reminded me of the classic 1974 film "The Gambler".

All in all, although this movie may appeal to only a certain slice of viewers, I found it intriguing enough to maintain my interest throughout, and wonder how it would all turn out, led, as mentioned by two superior portrayals by Mendelsohn and Reynolds.

Huge gambling film fan here. Let it Ride is one of my all time favorite comedies and I loved both the James Caan and Mark Wahlberg Gambler films, Big Hand For the Little Lady, Hustler,The Sting, Color of Money, Hard Eight , Rounders, The Cincinatti Kid and 21 all films I found better than this.

I came to the film for Ben Mendelsohn whom I have been a huge fan of since seeing the great "Animal Kingdom". He does not disappoint. This also is perhaps the best work that I have seen Ryan Reynolds do.

It is a road trip film that some are comparing to Sideways, but the script just feels flat. It held my interest. It is worth seeing, but it really could have had a more compelling script. A lot of it may be that beyond the relationship between the two leads, none of the other characters really played out well or drew me in.

I will say one thing. The sound track is classic. One of the best ever; full of Delta Blues and a host of songs that were oldies, but new to my ears. The soundtrack was a pure 10. Worth the price of admission alone.

This is essentially a remake of the movie California Split (1974).

The only exception in the plot is they go to New Orleans instead of Reno.

I do love Ryan Reynolds though and it was entertaining to watch.