Ballad of a Small Player
Synopsis
In his green velvet suit and kid gloves, with his pencil moustache and posh accent, Lord Freddy Doyle plays the part of the international high roller, living the lush life at a luxury hotel in Macao. But a closer look suggests Doyle’s situation is more desperate than it appears. He’s behind on his room payments, can’t find a casino that will give him credit, and he’s deep in debt to a dubious local character.
Doyle came to Macao because here, as a “foreign ghost” who no one knows, he can reinvent himself. But Cynthia Blithe knows who he really is - and what he’s running from. A sympathetic casino hostess may be able to help Doyle escape his mounting problems. But is there anywhere left for him to go? (TIFF 2025)
Official Selection Telluride Film Festival 2025 - World premiere
Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2025
Official Selection San Sebastián International Film Festival 2025 - European premiere
Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025
Details
- Year
- 2025
- Type of project
- Features
- Running time
- 101 min
- Director
-
Edward Berger
- Producer
- Edward Berger, Mike Goodridge, Matthew James Wilkinson
- Executive Producer
- Ellie Gibbons, Mark Nolting
- Editor
- Nick Emerson
- Screenwriter
- Rowan Joffe (screenwriter), Lawrence Osborne (based on the novel by)
- Director of Photography
- James Friend
- Production Designer
- Jonathan Houlding
- Composer
- Volker Bertelmann
- Principal cast
- Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings,Tilda Swinton
Genre
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
Germany, UK co-production
Good Chaos (UK), Nine Hours (DE), Stigma Films (UK)
Sales Company
Page updates
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