realityinmind Obviously the movie is not just about gambling addiction. But that aspect of the movie is portrayed quite accurately. Everyone knows what to expect from Ryan Reynolds, and he did a good job with his acting. But Mendelsohn's performance is immensely underrated. He portrays the sadness, the desperation, the hopelessness, the emptiness, the soullessness... everything that hides behind the eyes and within the mind of a gambling addict. He knows that gambling is not about winning money at all. (And the soundtrack is GREAT!). I will use this opportunity to recommend "Owning Mahowny" if you are interested in seeing another great movie about gambling addiction with the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. I give "Mississippi Grind" 6.5/10

merklekranz Questionable entertainment value, watching two '" train wrecks" happening at the same time. It's a buddy road movie with the theme being the pathetic lives that are the result of compulsive gambling. Two losers like Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds play certainly don't deserve any glorification. The low point is when Mendelsohn tries to steal money from his ex-wife. The acting is good, however the story meanders, and at times is sleep inducing. You do get some nice photography of various towns along the Mississippi. What is not so nice is the toxic effect their gambling addiction has on their relationships. Both characters come across as self serving jerks, with little regard for anything but their own destructive behavior. - MERK

areatw There's nothing worse than a movie that is out of touch with reality and the issues that it is supposed to be portraying, so I approached 'Mississippi Grind' with caution and was half-expecting an inaccurate and unrealistic depiction of a gambling addict.I was pleasantly surprised - the movie was well written and acted, with two great performances from Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds as Gerry and Curtis. The movie places more emphasis on content and dialogue than anything else and is somewhat pedestrian, but still manages to be engaging.I thought this was a solid and commendable attempt at portraying a gambling addiction. Certainly not a perfect movie but a well-made and accurate one, which is what I had hoped for.

giuliocc-301-860698 Ben Mendelssohn is a strong actor. His American accent is flawless. As the main character he has a convincing performance with Ryan Reynolds. But the plot is slow, and meanders. Found myself waiting for the point of this film... You have read into this film to get its value. I found it hard viewing because of the glacial pace of the plot.As both characters pursue the fast money of gambling you see the ups and downs. At times the characters do things that just don't make sense. This adds to the painful viewing trying to work out what the point of this movie. It's not that deep frankly, as you see the typical behaviour of gamblers wrestling with their addiction and if they can overcome it.