Cast: Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton, Fala Chen
Written By: Rowan Joffy
directed By: Edward Berger
Original Score By: Volker Bertamin
Release Year: 2025
Studio/Streamer: Netflix
Runtime: 101 minutes
Audio Description Produced By: VSI London
Written by:
Narrated By:
What Is it?: based on a book, Ballad of A Small Player follows a seemingly upstanding British citizen in Macao who is struggling with debt, and keeping up the appearance that they are not in quite as deep, and if they can just get a line of credit now, everything will be cleared up after the weekend. dodging those he owes, and trying to avoid extradition, he has one last hope, and it might come in the form of a love interest. but, isn’t gambling his true love?
What Doesn’t Work: I don’t do most anticipated lists, but if I had, I’m exactly the type of person to have thrown this on there simply based on Berger having earned my loyalty. All Quiet On the Western Front was my vote for best Picture of 2022, and Conclave wasn’t far behind as a top 5 film for me in 2024. That’s the kind of brand loyalty newer auteurs like Ari Aster and Robert eggers have built for themselves. I suppose Berger was bound to stumble at some point, and I was being unrealistic. but with Colin Farrell as his leading man, I hoped that stumble was further down the line.
Even as Awards season started rolling out, and buzz wasn’t strong with this, I held strong. I kept predicting it. My faith didn’t waiver. then mixed reviews came out of telluride, and still i became convinced even if no other critic loved this, I would be the one who did. i was convinced Edward Berger had the chops to speak directly to who I am individually.
So, more than likely any review you’ll read, know it pains me to say this film just doesn’t cut it. I even watched a second time, to see if perhaps it grows on you. I’ve had varying experiences on the rewatch, where films get richer, poorer, or somehow stay exactly the same. I thought this was the same on the second go around, it didn’t get any worse, but it never improved, because the film is already cut, edited, and released for consumption. At this point, what is wrong with Ballad Of A Small Player can’t be fixed by convincing yourself to see something that isn’t there, it just simply is realizing Berger finally hit that bump in the road. And if we’re being honest, every director hits it if their career runs long enough. Even Spielberg has a couple of debatable films in his roster. it really is about berger’s ability to choose a fourth project, and use what worked so well the first two times, while accepting criticism of the third.
Films are often a byproduct of when they come out. they can seem more derivative if they are like other things being released, or fresher if their themes have been retired for a time. For something like Small Player, it has the same sensibilities of Netflix’s limited series Black Rabbit, which while not perfect, certainly had a greater sense of urgency. In my review for that, I acknowledged tht it was mentioned by some the comparison of black rabbit to uncut gems, and comparing an eight episode limited series to a two hour and change film isn’t fair. the Safdie Brothers certainly put rhythm in films, but in a series, it is harder to maintain that frenetic anxious energy the whole time.
Ballad Of A Small Player is just 101 minutes with credits, and it suffers mostly from pacing. it tries to prioritize style over substance, but mostly it loses in the sense of urgency that is never felt through the film. by the end, Farrell never felt at the end of his rope, or truly desperate, to warrant his final scene. It has too many moments where momentum disappears, and the pulse resets. in that regard, i wish this had been edited more like a safdie project, because to have a film this short, and be dragged down mostly by pacing is not a strong case of Berger’s “eye” as an auteur. Perhaps he wanted us to feel something else, and take a different approach to a gambling film. but when the debt is clearly due, you are up against a wall. You can’t avoid that ticking clock here, yet somehow it wants to, and the film suffers for it.
The supporting cast, including Swinton, realy are just here to support Farrell, who I would love to say milks this for all its worth, but not only was he better in Banshees, but he’s also better as The Penguin, or even in his breakthrough role in tiger land. It’s a solid performance from him, but he had more manic energy in him playing Bullseye in the maligned daredevil than he does here trying to keep his head above water.
The one saving grace, and truly terrific thing about this film is the score. It is one of my favorites of the year, and has its own identity. it feels like a score I’d recognize on its own, and actually is more urgent than the film itself. I know gambling movies have been done to death, but if Berger was trying a different approach, it got totally lost in the execution. this doesn’t feel like the work of a director whose last two films were nominated for Best picture. it feels more like the work of someone who is about to direct a Jason Statham sequel.
the Audio description: I liked the track. There isn’t anything wrong with it. Considering the location, you don’t immediately think “British AD”, but Edward is British, and the characters who are not specifically from Macao are also from England.
Why you Might Like it: I’m sure it is a very pretty film to look at. this feels like Berger wanted a bright and colorful film, following two more monotone and bleaker looks. Also, it’s not that Farrell is bad, he’s just also been better.
Why You Might Not Like it: Pacing. At the end of the day, it’s the kind of film where I wanted to check my phone when it lagged. sometimes, I just pick up my phone to see if anything has even happened, like I’m programmed to not go too long without it. the best films make me forget I own a phone. I was very aware of my phone during both viewings.
Final thoughts: As a fan of Edward Berger’s, the fact that Ballad of A small Player doesn’t work for me is almost painful. but, it isn’t as painful as the pacing in this film, which is at odds with its terrific, and far more urgent score.
Rotten: 5.5/10
