Speaking of Clive Owen...

...and why the h#$$ not?...I was flipping channels last night and happened across Croupier on one of the movie channels. I’d been meaning to rent this film for a long time, ever since I heard people touting it as proof that Owen would have made a terrific James Bond (he did look pretty awesome in a tux). Personally, I’m more than happy with Daniel Craig as 007. His performance was bloody brilliant in Casino Royale, but Clive would have been great, too.

Croupier has some interesting, offbeat characters and a cool neo-noir vibe, and I’m pretty much always a sucker for a movie about a writer (see: Johnny Depp in Secret Window—I’ve been told some of the stuff coming out of his mouth sounded just like me...unnervingly so).

Not to give too much away, but I could definitely relate to Owen’s character when his girlfriend ripped the grittier, more realistic take on his story in favor of a previous version that had, in her opinion, a more likeable protagonist. Jeesh, everybody’s a critic.

To sum up, I liked the movie a lot and I kind of dug Clive with the bleached out do. But a blond Bond? Nah, that’d never go over.