A black-and-white-feel film noir, like The Hustler (9/10)

“The world breaks everyone, and afterwards many are strong at the broken places.  But those that will not break, it kills—it kills the very good, and the very gentle, and the very brave, impartially.  If you are none of these, you can be sure it will kill you, too, but there will be no special hurry.”
— Jack Manfred (Clive Owen)

That’s my favorite of the quotes from this brooding yet determined character, young, slick Jack Manfred.  It comes toward the end of the movie. Here’s another:

“Gambling’s not about money… Gambling’s about not facing reality, ignoring the odds.”

Quite a fascinating character, right from the beginning, when we see him talking to a London publisher about a book idea.  The publisher is smarmy, the type who sucks up to the in crowd; his advice to Jack is in effect, “Just work your ass off for us every waking moment and eventually success will arrive.”  The vibes Jack gives off, however, are anything but those of an aspiring, hardworking writer… Jack carries a constant grin of confidence.  His appearance is hotshot retro, he dies his hair blond and wears a pork-pie straw hat. Continue reading →