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• On the move in 2007

• Lodi to pay $625,000 to man wrongly convicted of rape

• Lodi gets Schwarzenegger's table scraps left over from inauguration

• Missing baby Jesus statue replaced following theft

• LUSD looks to add a dozen new counselors; some already hired

• Regional Roundup

• Solicitors claim Lodi's new ordinance limits free speech

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 8th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

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'CROUPIER' (***)

Owen carries cryptic film in star's breakout role

With heist movies, plot mechanics are usually of the utmost importance. In the best ones — from "Rififi" to "Ocean's Eleven" — characterizations take a back seat to the twists and turns of the storyline. Not so with "Croupier," a little-seen caper from 2000 that spawned the career of a suave, fresh-faced chap by the name of Clive Owen. Here, the plot is almost secondary. Owen commands the screen with such an intensity that the viewer couldn't care less what's going on, just so long as he is center stage.

Owen plays Jack Manfred, a struggling novelist who takes a job as a croupier (or casino dealer) as a way to make ends meet, and perhaps find some inspiration in the process. Although he may deal the cards, Jack is clear about one thing: He's not a gambler. After all, no intelligent person is. Why get yourself into a situation where you are destined to lose? The smart money is on the house, and Jack fancies himself to be very smart indeed. Yet Jack's fictional alter-ego, Jake, is a risk-taking gambler. That side of Jack starts to come out as he gets involved with a femme fatale who seduces him into taking the biggest risk of all: ripping off a casino.

Even after two viewings, I'm not sure I understand everything that goes on in "Croupier." As is often the case with this kind of movie, not everything — or everyone — is as it seems. Loyalties are reversed, motivations are turned upside-down, and by the end, the viewer is left questioning everything they've seen. When handled with great skill, this kind of labyrinthine plot can work wonders, and leave the viewer absolutely enthralled. Yet when the screenplay gets clumsy, everything spirals out of control. And while "Croupier" doesn't quite careen into oblivion, the screenplay does at times come across as needlessly cryptic, and the overall effect of the con is diminished.

Yet as I said, the film's appeal doesn't lie with the plotting, but with its star. As Jack, Owen epitomizes cool (it's easy to see why he was pegged as an early contender for the James Bond crown) while at the same time lending his character a distant sense of vulnerability. It's a prime example of how a great performance can salvage an otherwise mediocre effort, and the film is worth checking out if you want to see the breakthrough of a bona fide star.

"Croupier" is rated R for violence, profanity, sex and nudity.

Jason Wallis is a News-Sentinel copy editor. He can be reached at jwallis@runbox.com.