Ballad of a Small Player
Film
Fresh off his critically acclaimed Papal drama, Conclave, Edward Berger returns with his highly anticipated follow-up feature, Ballad of a Small Player. I was a huge fan of Conclave, especially Berger's tremendous direction, so I was really eager to see what he could do when paired up with Colin Farrell in a leading role. A job he's been unfathomably good at, especially in recent projects such as The Batman, The Penguin, and The Banshees of Inisherin.
Unfortunately, Berger's latest film is not nearly as enticing as his past works. In fact, the film itself spirals with the same loss of control as its protagonist, Farrell's Lord Doyle, a gambling addict hiding out in the gambling capital of the world, Macao. Even if Farrell's performance is yet another standout to add to his incredible resume, Rowan Joffe's screenplay is a sluggish and rather muted affair. Farrell is working his hardest to keep your attention but not even his obscenely sweaty demeanor as he battles moral dilemmas, namely stealing money from people to feed his ravenous gambling addiction, was enthralling enough. The film's sluggishness isn't due to a lack of action. There's plenty happening, including but not limited to various paranoid investigations-involving an underutilized Tilda Swinton-Farrell freak-outs, and an oddly distracting supernatural theme. Even though Doyle's inhabitation of Macao takes place over the Festival of Hungry Ghosts, a time when people offer sacrifices to appease the dead which could include burning money, the link between offerings, ghostly apparitions, or Doyle's doomed soul doesn't feel strong enough to make complete sense. Ultimately, adding more noise to an already cacophonous film.
Luckily, however, Berger has maintained the technical panache that made Conclave and All Quiet on the Western Front such visual gems. James Friend, Berger's DP on All Quiet, is back and the two work together in such harmony that every shot in the neon draped gambling capital is undeniably stunning. The visuals work terrifically with Farrell's performance, giving a real textural depth to Doyle's addiction, and the moments outside the booming metropolis are a terrific contrast of simple yet elegant images. Not to mention Volker Bertelmann whose work on the score of All Quiet earned him the Oscar is back with another phenomenal score. Equal parts operatic and smooth, Bertelmann's score dances to the beat of Doyle's heart and mind while electrifying every scene, which isn't far off from what his three-note score from All Quiet accomplished. Even Berger's frequent collaborator Lisy Christl is back in charge of costume design which is filled with wonderful colors, designs, and adds the flair that I've come to expect from Berger's pictures.
Unfortunately, however, there just isn't enough cohesion between the narrative elements of Ballad of a Small Player to complement the lush visuals. The technical aspects, along with Farrell's performance, can only bring you so far, and sadly I found the story lacking and somewhat boring at times. I may have had too high of expectations for Berger's Conclave follow-up but sometimes you have to work with the cards you've been dealt. No matter what though, I enjoyed watching Farrell-which I almost always do-and I love seeing the vision of Berger, along with his usual technical excellence.
Froth
For such a vibrant film, seriously the shots of Macao are stunning, you're going to want an equally colorful beer that pops. El Sueñito Brewing Company is relatively new in Seattle, or at least their location in the Fremont neighborhood, and one that I've been terrible at seeking out. I was luckily able to try their Sueños Del Campo, a wonderful New England Hazy IPA, that has the perfect mix of style and substance. Brewed with a combination of El Dorado and Cashmere hops gives the beer a strong profile of fruitiness, primarily consisting of melon, pineapple, and pear. But there's also a nice citrus backbone that pulls back the sweetness, along with a solid bitterness from the El Dorado hops that really brings it all together in a wonderfully balanced way. The Sueños Del Campo is also a Fresh Hop brew so it has a great grassy and herbal element to it and tastes/smells incredibly fresh. All in all, I can't wait to take a deeper dive into El Sueñito's menu!
