Mississippi Grind - BBC2

(Image credit: © 2014 MG SP, LLC. All Rights)

Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds are terrific as a pair of mismatched gamblers in this bittersweet buddy movie

Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds are terrific as a pair of mismatched gamblers in this bittersweet buddy movie.

Mendelsohn's hangdog loser oozes desperation from every pore, while Reynolds' character is a glib, seemingly carefree charmer.

Against the odds, they win our interest, and even our sympathy, when they hook up and hit the road together, the superstitious Mendelsohn convinced that Reynolds is his lucky charm, the 'big handsome leprechaun' who will help him pull off a big win at a mythical high-stakes poker game in New Orleans.

The plot is very loosely strung, but Mendelsohn and Reynolds keep us enthralled.