Archive of films Mississippi Grind / Mississippi Grind

USA
2014, 108 min

Section: Horizons
Year: 2015

Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a talented poker player but his tendency to gamble, more often than not, brings him to his knees. One day he meets the charismatic Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), who feels quite at home at the casino whenever he isn’t traveling. A mere thousand miles separate this somewhat thoughtless yet likeable pair from the jackpot of a legendary New Orleans poker game. If you dig American pictures of the 1970s, then this road movie will definitely not disappoint.

Synopsis

Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a talented poker player, but his tendency to gamble, more often than not, brings him to his knees. He owes money all over the place, yet his unwavering faith in the big win spurs him to keep believing in the instructional audio recordings made by his successful fellow gamblers. One day he meets a charismatic guy named Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), who feels right at home at the casino whenever he’s not on the road. Just a few hundred miles separate this somewhat reckless yet likeable pair from the jackpot of a legendary New Orleans poker game. Respected directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden send Gerry and Curtis on an unpredictable journey down the Mississippi, during which experienced DOP Andrij Parekh’s perceptive, atmospheric camerawork proves invaluable (he co-created a few of Karlovy Vary’s cult festival trailers). But the biggest payout came from the casting of the two leads, particularly phenomenal Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn, who turns in a performance comparable to landmark roles by Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman in the 1970s.

Karel Och

About the director

Ryan Fleck (b. 1976, Berkeley, California) and Anna Boden (b. 1976, Berkeley, California) have been a filmmaking duo since 2002, when they began sharing screenwriting and directing duties on short films and documentaries. Their first two features Half Nelson (2006) and Sugar (2008) premiered at Sundance. Half Nelson went on to win several Gotham and Spirit Awards, while lead actor Ryan Gosling earned nominations for a SAG Award and an Oscar. The sports drama Sugar also collected nominations for Gotham and Spirit Awards, and was awarded by AFI. Their third film It’s Kind of a Funny Story, based on the young adult novel by Ned Vizzini, was presented at Toronto 2010. Anna and Ryan have also cooperated with HBO and Showtime directing television shows. The pair returned this year to January’s Sundance to premiere their road movie Mississippi Grind.

Contacts

Annapurna International
9536 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 206, 90212, Beverly Hills
United States of America
Tel: +1 310 858 1001
E-mail: [email protected]

Bohemia Motion Pictures, a.s.
Všehrdova 560/2, 118 00, Prague
Czech Republic
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.bohemiamp.cz

About the film

Color, DCP
International premiere

Section:	Horizons

Director:	Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Screenplay:	Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Dir. of Photography:	Andrij Parekh
Editor:	Anna Boden
Art Director:	Jade Healy
Producer:	Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell, Tom Rice, Ben Nearn
Production:	Electric City Entertainment
Cast:	Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn, Sienna Miller
Sales:	Annapurna International
Distributor:	Bohemia Motion Pictures, a.s.

Guests

Ryan Fleck

Ester Honysová

Distributor, Producer