Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn live life one dice roll at a time, in “Mississippi Grind”. Gerry (Mendelsohn) is a talented poker player, but his gambling habit is getting the best of him. One day, he meets a charismatic young traveler named Curtis (Reynolds). Deeming Curtis his lucky charm, Gerry convinces him that they should hit the road together to New Orleans. As they gamble their way down South toward a legendary high stakes poker game in New Orleans, the trip’s highs and lows unveil the duo’s true character and motivation, and an undeniable bond forms between them. “Mississippi Grind” is a strong lesson in addiction. It’s a blues story with an equally appropriate blues score composed by Scott Bomar, and it sets the backstory for these two lovable losers who know if they can’t change history, they are doomed to repeat it. That score is beautifully radiant when cast against a setting of dirty streets and two-bit dreams. It’s a reminder to the audience that this isn’t just another good will prevail kind of story. Beyond that, What i really enjoyed about this film comes in two forms. First of all, the performances are powerfully strong without having to really reach for that Oscar moment. Reynolds and Mendelsohn are two of my very favorite actors, so i was curious to see the film on that alone. As much as Ben is in the spotlight, it’s Reynolds who really steals the movie, with his storytelling eyes and light touch of a Midwestern accent. Reynolds hasn’t had the best of luck with Hollywood blockbusters, but his prize money seems to be on Independent dramas that showcase a stage for him to play many different colorful characters. The second thing that sets this film apart is it’s relationship with the audience to subtely instill character traits about these people without really telling us anything. Not everything has to be answered by the film’s credits, but we do know that these two men see their own worst enemies staring in the mirror right back at them. There were many times when i rolled my eyes at the less than genius decisions that they made for themselves, but it creates a beautiful bond between them. As far as addiction films go, “Mississippi Grind” plays it very close to the heart. These two men have lost a lot, but they find the kind of energy to get back up in each other, and that’s something that really lifted this film for me during the patchy spots. If i have one complaint, i wish the film had more of a female presence. Sienna Miller stars as a prostitute that Reynolds is infatuated with, but we don’t get enough on-screen time for their relationship, so Curtis’s intentions aren’t always believable during a third act where everything is getting wrapped up quickly. Overall, “Mississippi Grind” is strong on it’s performances, somber in it’s heartbreak, and educational in it’s content. We don’t feel that these characters are any better by the end of it, but life is a gamble; one hand at a time.

7/10