MrPPeeps’s review published on Letterboxd:
There's no denying that in comparison to Edward Berger's previous works "Ballad of a Small Player" is a disappointing outing. On paper, this should be a sharp, exciting, tension filled exploration of the destructive nature of addiction... and it just isn't. It lacks characterisation, tension and the final product comes out feeling like it's a little "Paint by Numbers" for this genre of film. But with that being said, I can't say - despite it's inadequacies - that I didn't enjoy it.
It's treading the same path as many films before it, but I still found that journey interesting "enough". I enjoyed 'lord Doyle' as a character, I think Farrell delivers a typically strong performance (although not one of his best by any means) I was engaged in the story, I was surprised by certain moments and I really do think it's one of the most visually spectacular films of the year so far.
It's definitely held back by a fairly poor script, and I highly doubt I'll remember this in the long run or ever consider revisiting it at a later date. But for what it was, I had an ok time all things considered. I do hope Berger's future outings are closer to his previous works than this one though.
#44 entry of the |52 Week Director Challenge|
