Netflix has released the teaser trailer for Edward Berger’s latest film “Ballad Of A Small Player,” starring Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings & Tilda Swinton. The film will have its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, play at the Toronto International Film Festival, and then release in select US cinemas on October 15th (UK & Ireland on October 17th) followed by its streaming release on Netflix on October 29th.
Plot Synopsis: Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell) is laying low in Macau – spending his days and nights on the casino floors, drinking heavily and gambling what little money he has left. Struggling to keep up with his fast-rising debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own. However, in hot pursuit is Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) – a private investigator ready to confront Doyle with what he is running from. As Doyle tries to climb to salvation, the confines of reality start to close in.
What do you all think of the trailer? After the previous awards and critical success of “Conclave,” Edward Berger has returned to Netflix (who was behind the other critically acclaimed and Academy Award-wining film of his career, “All Quiet On The Western Front“) to create what looks to be a more character-driven, contained story about a gambling addict spiraling out of control, getting in way over his head set against the backdrop of a gorgeous environment (“All Quiet On The Western Front” Oscar-winning cinematographer James Friend returns to shoot). The film looks and feels intense, thanks to its bright colors and high emotions, with a Colin Farrell performance that’s all-out in the best ways, including plenty of crash outs. I’m particularly excited to see Fala Chen and Tilda Swinton more in this and while I’m not expecting this to be on the level of Berger’s previous two films, I’m glad that he’s at least switching things up a bit and scaling back from the scale of “All Quiet On The Western Front” and the twisty narrative of “Conclave.” Perhaps the final film, when it’s unveiled at Telluride, will have a little bit of both? What do you think, though? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.
