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There's nothing worse than a movie that is out of touch with reality and the issues that it is supposed to be portraying, so I approached 'Mississippi Grind' with caution and was half-expecting an inaccurate and unrealistic depiction of a gambling addict.

I was pleasantly surprised - the movie was well written and acted, with two great performances from Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds as Gerry and Curtis. The movie places more emphasis on content and dialogue than anything else and is somewhat pedestrian, but still manages to be engaging.

I thought this was a solid and commendable attempt at portraying a gambling addiction. Certainly not a perfect movie but a well-made and accurate one, which is what I had hoped for.

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.

Once again the IMDb user rating fails to reflect the true quality of a movie and I have to side with the critics. So be it because I was surprised how much I liked Mississippi grind. The acting from the two leads was exceptional, particularly Ben Mendelsohn. The writing is very natural and realistic as well. As usual, I would normally side with users, but every once in a while (such as with the guest) the critics know what they're doing and quite frankly the users couldn't be any more wrong, with a rating of 6.4/10 I would call this film criminally underrated, just so you know I don't say that often.

To steer haters away I will tell you this movie can be quite depressing at times, it's writing and acting is so raw that the emotion and situations really get to you. I don't know about you but any weird feelings this film gave me were on a positive note (quality wise anyways). I love different movies, on first glance I was thinking this was just another gambling movie, you know what I was wrong. This film does things not many other films have done, such as the feelings it gave to me.

I love and I mean LOVE different movies, and this film is quite different, full of lots of bits that are left un said and yet if the viewer is immersed properly they will feel it and it works and it really worked for me. Yes the characters in the movie have a gambling problem and it can be quite un comfortable to see what they do themselves and others but you know what not every movie is going to have happy go lucky optimistic heroes, so if you don't like movies with characters that aren't picture perfect steer clear.

I apologize for my rather vague review, I am coming right off of my initial viewing so keep that in mind but don't think of this as a review but more as a recommendation. I'm not saying this is the best movie ever but for those such as myself in search of something different I would highly recommend this film and I would put this up with some of the greatest gambling movies EVER. Initially I give this a 10/10 but as I said I'm fresh out of the viewing so I have to give this movie some time to absorb to give a more proper assessment, but no doubt Mississippi Grind is worth a viewing. Thanks for reading my recommendation and hopefully you'll enjoy this hidden gem.

This is a film about two poker players who strike up a friendship and go on a road trip to win their fortune. The problem is that one of them doesn't know when to quit. This is one the best films I've seen about gambling and poker in a long time. The two lead actors , Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn are brilliant and they work really well together. Mendelsohn in particular is really convincing as man with a severe gambling problem. This doesn't glamorise gambling at all and it highlights all the pitfalls of not being able to stop gambling. Essentially this is a road movie that despite having many bumps is actually a really good journey to be on for the viewer.