When a late-night knock at the door comes, Jack assumes it to be the casino robbers demanding the return of their advance money. They fail, and Jack and Marion have an argument but she stays with him. On the night of the robbery, Jack gets beaten by the gambler as a distraction while others try to grab the money. She deletes a phone message for Jack alerting him that the robbery is on for Christmas Eve, and instead alerts a former colleague on the police. Marion reconciles with Jack but discovers that he is involved in something criminal and tries to foil it. In doing so, Jack notices that Jani's injuries were faked. Jack eventually agrees and accepts a £10,000 advance with an additional £10,000 if all goes well. All he has to do is raise the alarm when a gambler cheats at his table. Jani shows him bruises saying she got them from gambling creditors and asks Jack to be the inside man for a planned robbery at the casino. One gambler, Jani, tries to befriend Jack, another serious violation of casino rules. Bella confronts Jack at his apartment, accuses him of getting her fired, and tells Marion about the one-night stand. His relationship with his girlfriend Marion begins to deteriorate when he lets her read part of his book about a cold, unfeeling croupier who enjoys seeing gamblers lose, a character transparently based on Jack himself. He sleeps with a fellow croupier named Bella in violation of casino policy. He goes drinking with Matt, a croupier who he knows is cheating the casino. Jack finds himself drawn into the casino world, and the job gradually takes over his life. The interview was set up by his father, a small-time hustler back home in South Africa. To make ends meet and against his better judgment, he takes a job as a croupier at a local casino. Jack Manfred is an aspiring but as yet unsuccessful writer.

It was disqualified from the Academy Awards after it was shown on Dutch television. It uses interior monologues in the style of many early noir detective films.Ĭroupier was released on DVD by Alliance Atlantis in Canada and Image Entertainment in the US.

The film attracted a strong critical following in North America and helped to launch Owen's acting career there.

Croupier is a 1998 British neo-noir crime drama thriller film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Clive Owen.

The casino cast