Cinema can’t seem to resist the story of a high stakes gambler.
From Leaving Las Vegas to Casino Jack, The Hustler, Uncut Gems, and many others, gambling always lends itself to bravado performances and wild reversals of fortunes. Ballad of a Small Player is no exception. Oscar winner Edward Berger has turned Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name into an exhilarating thriller for the screen. We’ve seen it before, but it’s still worth watching again.
Colin Farrell is Lord Doyle, down on his luck, but planning to win big – every gambler’s dream. This time the setting is Macau, not Las Vegas. While many gambling movies simply centre in on poker table tension, director Berger also takes us out into the glorious beauty of this eastern setting. The night life looks like Las Vegas on steroids, and the natural beauty of islands might tempt us to visit too. Doyle, however, is simply here to win big so that he can pay back money he has stolen. In making himself a “Lord”, he is trying to live up to the axiom that “Lords never go back on their word”. He is living the charade of a high roller’s life. He has a suite made for a Lord, a bed covered in his winning money, is choking on caviar, lobster, and booze. He is the quintessential good guy who’s taken a wrong turn in life.
It’s here in paradise that Doyle meets the beautiful dealer Dao Ming (played by Fala Chen). He is smitten and wants to bring his life back into order, not only to rescue himself, but also to win her love. He is also at a loss as to why she is kind to him. “Why are you trying to help me? he asks.” ‘Because we’re the same”. Unfortunately, salvation is hard to come by, no matter how much it is desired. Some at the gambling tables can see a ghost standing behind Doyle, directing his moves in ways that he has no control over.
Unfortunately for Doyle, there is another woman on the scene who is very interested in “Lord” Doyle. “You can’t even come up with a lordly sounding fake name” she mocks. Private Investigator Cynthia Blythe (Tilda Swinton) has followed the gambler to Macau, intent on arresting him, and getting her client’s money back. But even for her the lure of a grand payoff is seductive. “I’ll keep winning, I’ll pay back everything I owe, and I’ll make you rich too” Doyle promises. “You can buy some new clothes then”. It’s a good suggestion – I’ve never seen Ms. Swinton more strangely clothed than in this movie. She is tempted.
As with any gambling film, it’s easy to root for the hapless addict. We want them to win big, but, as with real life gambling, there is never any guarantee. All of the actors in Ballad give great performances. Colin Farrell stands out, however. It is tour-de-force acting, worthy of an Oscar nomination. From the over the top elation of winning to the howling agony of losing, Farrell is believable. He is reaching for some sort of redemption; unfortunately it never quite reaches back for him.
Ballad of a Small Player is available in theatres in Toronto now, and on Netflix on October 29th, 2025.
