Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player is a somewhat slow and at times hollow character study that still manages to soar instead of sink, mostly because Colin Farrell gives it his absolute all. The story, which doesn’t take the usual detours as it examines the pitfalls of addiction, is both filled with colors and textures and truly simplistic in its messaging. Addiction is the one enemy, and conquering it can sometimes be the hardest thing you do.
Anyone familiar with addiction in any form—be it personal or experienced second-hand through a friend or a relative—will find something relatable in Farrell’s portrayal of a Lord Doyle who, at times, truly seems like he’s got everything in control. But addiction is a liar, and the mirage it creates can often trick not just the person afflicted by it.
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The story, an adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel, takes place in Macao. Farrell plays Lord Freddy Doyle, an international high roller who is living a life of luxury while gambling every night. However, it’s all a mirage. Doyle is behind on his hotel room payments and is deep in debt. Not just that, we soon find his issues are even worse, as an underused Tilda Swinton shows up to bring even more problems for Doyle.
Ironically, for all Doyle is set up as an anti-hero of sorts, at times he feels like a lost hero on his own journey—one that hopefully ends in the big win he always dreamed of. Along the way, he meets Dao (Fala Cheng), and though the movie doesn’t really set up anything resembling a traditional love story, there’s a certain kinship between the two characters that makes you root for both. It’s like a lost soul recognizing another, with both of them trying to pull each other towards the shore, with varying degrees of success.
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Ballad of a Small Player certainly isn’t perfect; it’s a little confusing at times, and though the visuals are striking and the balance between the colors and the sounds does a great job of pulling you in, everything outside of the addiction itself feels undercooked, including Doyle himself. It would be easier to be sympathetic if we understood a little more about who he is and why he does the things he does. But the movie deliberately doesn’t give you that. Instead, Doyle is just his addiction, and though that works to an extent, it also could work better with just a tad more information.
In general, though, Ballad of a Small Player is still an above-average movie, mostly because Farrell is just very good at playing a borderline ridiculous and yet somehow real character. If you’re here for Farrell, then you won’t walk away disappointed. But the movie also hits some very specific notes about addiction that feel honest and true. That might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when it does work, it really works.
Ballad of a Small Player screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
