Berger Stumbles With "Ballad of a Small Player"
Last year’s papal succession drama “Conclave” by German director Edward Berger was easily one of my favorite movies of 2024. I had a blast over the holidays rewatching it with my parents just to see their reaction to all the twists and turns. It’s a blast recommending it to people, because like it or not, they’re going to have a strong response.
What I can’t recommend is Berger’s latest film, the direct-to-Netflix “Ballad of a Small Player.” I was a little surprised when I learned that he had another movie coming out so soon after “Conclave,” but at first I was hopeful. The film stars Colin Farrell as a high stakes gambler whose luck is running out as he hides out from old debts in Macau. Sounds great! It’s not.
Alarm bells started going off immediately when Farrell’s Lord Doyle launched into a completely unnecessary narration during the opening moments of the film. Things quickly go downhill from there.
Part of the problem is that the main character’s card game of choice is baccarat, perhaps the most uncinematic game of chance imaginable. From what I could gather, each player is dealt two cards and they flip them over to see who wins. The complete lack of skill and reliance on luck is the point, but that doesn’t make it any more entertaining.
Edward Berger is a great director, so there is still lots to appreciate here. It looks fantastic and the score is bombastic to the point of being maybe a bit overboard. Colin Farrell is certainly doing a lot of acting, and most of it is good. The sum of the parts however, including a Tilda Swinton performance that feels teleported in from a completely different movie, is a bit of a mess.
In the past three years, Berger has released three films. Twenty twenty-two’s “All Quiet on the Western Front and 2024’s “Conclave” were both terrific. Perhaps two years between movies is the sweet spot, because “Ballad of a Small Player” just feels undercooked. It is available to watch on Netflix on Wednesday, October 29th.
Rating: 5/10
