The Lincoln Center Film Society will host a screening of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s new film Mississippi Grind, next Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:30, at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City. The screening will include a Q&A with the directors, along with the film’s star, Ryan Reynolds.
In this lively, freewheeling road movie, Ben Mendelsohn plays Gerry, a talented but down-on-his-luck gambler whose fortunes begin to change when he meets Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), a younger, highly charismatic poker player. The two strike up an immediate friendship and Gerry quickly persuades his new buddy to accompany him on a road trip to a legendary high-stakes poker game in New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi River, Gerry and Curtis manage to find themselves in just about every bar, racetrack, casino, and pool hall they can find, experiencing both incredible highs and dispiriting lows. Reminiscent of American cinema of the 1970s, Mississippi Grind is a film about friendship, addiction, regret, family, and the paths we sometimes unexpectedly find ourselves on, told with empathy, humor, and a remarkably light touch by the acclaimed directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (Half Nelson, It’s Kind of A Funny Story).