Roulette is a gambling game in which a small ball rolls around a revolving wheel and players bet on the number, or groups of numbers, that the ball will land on when the wheel stops. It’s one of the most popular casino games in the world, a wildly popular choice for online and land-based gamblers alike. Roulette is also an apt name for this film, a riveting thriller that captures the excitement of chance and betrayal.
Roulette began in a TriBeCa loft that was the home of trombonist Jim Staley. It soon became a vital laboratory for downtown-music artists, giving them the space, resources and recorded documentation they needed to pursue an aesthetic guided as much by John Coltrane as by John Cage. They included composers, improvisers and electronic producers, as well as performers such as singer-songwriter Ben Folds and harpist Zeena Parkins.
After years of battling the house edge (which in this case is about 7.69% on all bets), roulette moved to Greene Street, where its name was shortened to Roullete. Its new location and improved facilities allow for a greater range of events, from jazz performances to avant-garde theater. It has become a vital resource for the city’s experimental arts community, and is now a major destination for the world’s best musicians.
When a player wins a bet they receive their winnings in chips that correspond to the color of the chip. The amount of chips received varies depending on the type of bet made. A win on number 4 pays 392 chips. All winning bets remain the property of the player until a request to the contrary is made.
The word “roulette” can also refer to an unreliable device for separating sheets of postage stamps, or a specialized engravers’ tool for making multiple parallel lines in a piece of metal or other material. It can even mean a short cut, or hole, in a piece of paper or other document. It’s a word that can bring to mind either a luxurious high-roller or an insecure little guy, depending on how it is used. This is what makes it a fascinating title for Erik Kristopher Myers’s film.