Ballad of a Small Player ★★

Edward Berger is arguably one of the most in-demand filmmakers right now, with the successes of his German-language remake of All Quiet on the Western Front and Vatican-based drama Conclave, both of which won multiple industry-recognised awards. It would be surprising that there was not an abundance of projects he could choose from. This is something he has recently spoken about, and how it has led him to helm his latest film, Ballad of a Small Player, an adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s novel.

The film follows Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell), a gambler who, probably like most, is opportunistic but not just in the sense of searching for the “big win”, but also in how he came to be in an excessive place like Macau. As audiences may have seen before, they witness a high-stakes roller lacking restraint, trying to hide from a past created by their own self-destructive behaviour, and how opportunities become obligations.

The film itself is much like its protagonist in that it embraces the overabundance of its setting. Macau is awash with dazzling, colourful lights and towering structures, which are captured well by cinematographer James Friend. Where this extravagant scenery perfectly matches the persona of Lord Doyle, Friend also displays the proletariat parts of the region that showcase who Doyle really is. It is a juxtaposition that works well. However, the excessiveness follows through into other areas of the production that become somewhat overbearing. Sounds of certain actions are often dialed up with the stretching of the leather of Doyle’s gloves as he views his cards in the games of baccarat he plays and his gulping of champagne are intended to be jarring, but none more so than when we see the leading man consuming various foods at a disgustingly alarming speed at one point. It certainly emphasises the sickening moment, but audiences may question the point of its inclusion, like many scenes throughout the film. Volker Bertelmann, who scored Conclave once again, uses strings in his composition, but also bombastic brass and synths, which also come across as lavish and self-indulgent.

The central performance from Farrell is intriguing despite his characteristic ticks and extreme expressions. One might think that an actor with less ability would make this film unbearable to watch, but Farrell displays the frivolity of Doyle well and gives gravitas to scenes that require it when he shows his true personality. However, Tilda Swinton, who normally is dependable, comes off cartoonish as Cynthia, and I would question why someone of her notoriety would take such a role, as she does not have a lot of screen time to justify her presence here. Fala Chen as Dao Ming gives the most nuanced performance of the cast, but she feels underused.

Ballad of a Small Player is a bizarre choice by Berger to follow up on his previous successes. There is a blend of action and drama, as in All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave, though the effect is jumbled and results in an incohesive and unfocused film.