Posted by After the run of success, plaudits and awards that anti war epic All Quiet on the Western Front and papal drama Conclave garnered, director Edward Berger has turned away from serious, weighty flicks and made Ballad of a Small Player – a bonkers tale of addiction set in the dazzling lights of gambling mecca Macau.
Colin Farrell is mesmeric as Lord Doyle, a highwire ‘aristocrat’ living on the ragged edge subsisting solely on gambling and alcohol. Forever chasing that one big win amongst the glitz and glamour of Macau’s casinos, and dodging and diving his many debtors. The past he is running away from catches up with him, as Tilda Swinton’s straight laced but exasperated private investigator Cynthia/Betty tracks him down and makes him face the music.
Ballad of a Small Player is a nonstop tale which depicts the euphoric highs and crushing lows of addiction. Doyle’s utter desperation to strike it lucky is emphasised by the heart in mouth pacing, and the resplendent depiction of the glitz and glamour of Macau and its seedy underbelly. It is frenetic entertainment with stellar performances by Colin Farrel, Tilda Swinton and Fala Chen – who plays the charming and conniving credit broker Dao-Ming, who is also in a bit of a bind herself.
The plot’s relentless charge, and its roulette wheel twists and turns, can feel a bit distracting at times. It is a mile away from the measured and more cerebral nature of Berger’s previous two films, this one is a technicolour feast for the senses. Behind the spectacle and the exhausting excess is a redemption story with a satisfying, and slightly metaphysical, ending.
Whilst not matching the high bar of Conclave, Ballad is a dizzying high stakes ride with a top notch performance by Colin Farrell.
7/10
Lofty Music and Film 