Mississippi Grind: Underrated Movie! (No Spoilers)

By Michael Momper

Instead of watching the newest Star Wars blockbuster, cozy up with a glass of Woodford Reserve and enjoy the somewhat-lavish casino world of Mississippi Grind, the latest stellar piece of art from writer and director Ryan Fleck.

Fleck, at this point, seems to be a master at capturing the snowball effects of addiction, as he did so marvelously in the 2006 film Half Nelson, one of my favorite movies of the millennium. In Mississippi Grind, released in 2015, his newest character study centers around the crippling gambling addiction of real estate agent Gerry, portrayed perfectly by talented character actor Ben Mendelsohn. His suave and charming foil character, Curtis, is played by Ryan Reynolds and turns out to be the perfect complement to Gerry's hard-living charisma. What follows is an atmospheric and riveting journey down the Mississippi River's state borders, as we see just how easy it is to fall victim to the siren that is the Gambler's Fallacy.

The movie's soundtrack is a major highpoint, and with its gritty and grimy blues it is the perfect portrait of middle America. One of the live casino performers, accompanied with aggressive blues riffing, sings "I don't know that woman there/ I can't eat/ I can't sleep/ 'Cause I don't know her name." I can't help but think that this song is emblematic of Gerry's relationship with Lady Luck; he is completely fascinated with her, his vision completely fixated on the slightest glimmers of good fortune. The cinematographer's sharp focus on the ups and downs of Gerry's game create perfect tension, and made me think about how fascinating it is that after all these years of film sometimes the best "special effect" can be a simple high-stakes card game. There is little violence, no explosions, yet somehow I am captivated by the fact that Gerry's life fortunes hang in the balance with every new game he enters. He can almost feel Lady Luck in his grasp, but all it can take is one unlucky hand to crush the entire success of his gambling road trip- it is in these simple moments that Ben Mendolsohn is truly terrific.

Ryan Fleck certainly knows that this type of character study is something that he can capture very eloquently, and yet I never felt like it was unoriginal, especially with its unique and dark underground mood. It is a perfect example of an exciting character study that properly invests you in Gerry's character, and because of this, the viewer is better able to comprehend the throes of addiction in the process.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everybody!

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