Irish actor Colin Farrell came close to an Oscar win a couple of years ago, when he was nominated for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin. Could the release of Ballad of a Small Player give him an Oscar next time?
What’s the Movie About?
Ballad of a Small Player is about a man called Lord Doyle, who travels to Macau in China to play in the casinos. He’s a lawyer who’s gone to China to escape from problems in the UK, but he runs into problems there too, until he meets a Chinese woman called Dao-Ming who adds some mystery to the movie.
It was directed by German filmmaker Edgar Berger, who won acclaim for 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front. The film is based on a book of the same name by Lawrence Osborne, with Fala Chen, Alex Jennings and Tilda Swinton also in the cast.
Ballad of a Small Player was given a world premiere in August, when it was shown at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. Next, it will get a limited US release on 15th October before it lands on Netflix on 29th October. This means that it qualifies for entry in the 2026 Oscars. The prediction for next year’s event includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Allen White and Timothée Chalamet among the leading names in the Best Actor category. The 98th Academy Awards will be held on 15th March, 2026.
Will It Be a Success?
While this movie is going to be up against some big names in the race for an Oscar, the appeal of Farrell’s acting ability and the casino setting could help make it one of the year’s biggest hits. Looking back to past Oscars, Sharon Stone received a nomination for 1995’s iconic Casino movie by Martin Scorsese, although Susan Sarandon eventually won for her role in Dead Man Walking.
Since then, casinos have become an even bigger part of popular culture. The introduction of varied online casino games has led to more people trying the likes of blackjack, roulette and baccarat. Online versions of these games are typically based on the traditional gameplay, but some feature new ideas like random multipliers and side bets. It’s easy to play online, meaning that anyone can quickly understand these games, which makes it simpler for viewers to follow the action in movies set in casinos.
Farrell described the Lord Doyle character as a complex person who is essentially decent but is trying to escape his past without realizing that he can’t. The actor won a Golden Globe for his role in The Penguin, so he’s no stranger to this kind of major acting prize.
We need to wait a bit longer to see if Farrell’s performance in Ballad of a Small Player is strong enough to push him into contention for an Oscar. If it is, this could trigger a new series of casino-based movies that further explore this interesting setting.
