Writer/Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck hit mainstream movie gold with Captain Marvel in 2019.

Before then they got critical acclaim with Half Nelson. In Mississippi Grind they hark back to cinema of the 1970s. This could be Fat City with Jeff Bridges and Stacy Keach or Scarecrow with Al Pacino and Gene Hackman.

This is a gambling road movie. Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) down on his luck meets the younger and charismatic Curtis (Ryan Reynolds) in a card game in Iowa. They strike up an easy friendship as they got for that big win as they through various grimy casinos in the south.

Gerry and Curtis are complicated deadbeats. Gambling addicts who are unsure why they do what they do. Gerry is in debt and times reduced to steal from his ex-wife or lie about losing all his money. He has always been on a downward spiral unsure when he last had a winning streak. At least Curtis has more sense to know when to stop.

Mississippi Grind has a rootsy blues soundtrack but it is too meandering, lifeless and a bit of a grind to watch despite the acting by the leads.

Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a real estate agent who likes to gamble. He is down on his luck until he meets Curtis (Ryan Reynolds) at a poker table. Curtis is also a gambler, but he just likes to have fun and has no concerns or obligations. Curtis and Gerry decide to travel down the Mississippi River and hit all the gambling spots along the way.

On the trip we get to know our characters a bit more, but there wasn't much to see. They have their ups and downs, but the film didn't go anywhere and I was wondering what was the whole point. Personally I've would have made it a little darker. Not bad, but this will not a film that will be remembered.

Guide. F-bombs. No sex. Ryan butt nudity.

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.