Edward Berger has been on an absolute tear over the past few years, with All Quiet on the Western Front landing the second-most Oscars of its year and Conclave nearly stealing Best Picture. While his latest, Ballad of a Small Player, may not be in any serious awards contention, it has still garnered solid attention out of its Telluride Film Festival debut.
Check out some of the first reactions to Ballad of a Small Player that have hit social media below:
If anything, it seems as if Colin Farrell is officially in the running for Best Actor; if he does land a nod, it would – perhaps surprisingly – be only his second, after The Banshee of Inisherin. There is also significant praise for composer Volker Bertelmann and the overall look of the film, having been lensed by James Friend. Both Bertelmann and Friend won Academy Awards in their respective categories. On collaborating with Friend once again, Berger said, “I wanted to create a pop opera full of humor, drama and contradictions. That’s what drove my conversations with James.”
Here is the official plot of Ballad of a Small Player, as per Netflix: “Lord Doyle 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, a casino employee with secrets of her own. However, in hot pursuit is Cynthia Blithe – 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.” The film will get a limited release in the U.S. on October 17th before hitting Netflix on October 29th; Netflix also hosted All Quiet on the Western Front.
The supporting cast includes Falan Chen, Deanie Ip, Tilda Swinton, and Alex Jennings. Rowan Joffé adapts Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name.
What do you think of the reviews for Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player. Do you plan on seeing it in theaters or will you wait for the Netflix release?
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