I watched Mississippi Grind last night, and like I mentioned in my first post, I really enjoy going through an actor’s filmography. I think watching different films they’ve been in gives you a better sense of their range and how well they take on different roles. I feel like not a lot of people do that. Most just pick movies based on what interests them, which is totally fine! But for me, I love seeing how versatile an actor can be.
Mendelsohn was incredible in this. Honestly, I think he carried the whole movie. His character, a gambling addict drowning in debt and making promises he can’t keep, was just heartbreaking. And yet, he somehow prevails in the end, winning half a million dollars. This movie came out in 2015, so that was definitely a lot of money at the time, but the way he handled it was kind of wild, just casually buying an older car. I couldn’t help but wonder how much debt he was really in because that money didn’t seem like it would fix everything. They never actually say how deep he was, which adds to the mystery of whether he truly “won” in the end.
Ryan Reynolds was in this too, but honestly, I wasn’t feeling his character. I was kind of mad at him the whole time. I haven’t seen a lot of his movies, so I don’t have much to compare it to. I think he’s Deadpool? I’m not really into that genre, so I’ve never watched those.
Other than that, I spent some time working on collages today. I’ve been getting into collage art and planning to sell at a market later this year, so I figured I might as well start making things now. I also made some pins, but I’ve been struggling with them because they keep popping out. I gave a few away, so hopefully, they don’t break, but if they do, I’ll just have to tell people I’m still figuring it out.
I also worked on a personal story I’ve been writing. I’ve always wanted to explore a character with a gambling addiction, and Mississippi Grind really reignited that interest. I actually gambled once, and it haunted me for way too long, so it’s something that sticks with me. I won’t share too much of my idea yet because I get paranoid about my stories being too similar to existing ones. I’ll probably go back, reread it, and run it by someone who’s seen the movie just to be sure.
Oh, and I finished that sketch of Joe, but I haven’t taken a screenshot yet. Not sure if I’ll upload it after all. I know I said I would, but I’m kind of changing my mind.