Review: Colin Farrell Can't Save Gambling Stinker 'Ballad of a Small Player' From Going Bust

Review: Colin Farrell can't save gambling stinker 'Ballad of a Small Player' from going bust

"Ballad of a Small Player" is director Edward Berger's third movie in four years. The first two, "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Conclave" earned 17 Oscar nominations between them, including best picture nods for both. You'd think that ...

Ballad of a Small Player review – a wispy, neon-hued gambling drama

Colin Farrell dons a pencil moustache as a down-and-out in Macao frittering away his money in the local casinos. There is not a singular aesthetic to decadency and yet all it takes is one brief sniff to feel it in the air. The first few minutes of Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player broach decadence through its wealthier cousin: opulence. Colin Farrell’s Lord Doyle wakes up surrounded by empty champagne bottles and half-eaten plates of lobs…

'Ballad of a Small Player' Review: What awful luck

Editor’s Note: This review originally ran as part of our coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, and today we’re re-publishing it with the film’s wider release. Check out our extensive review slate from TIFF50, revisit our official curtain-raiser, and check the complete Vanyaland coverage archives from prior editions. Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player can be best compared to the savory “elevated” cotton candy served as a…