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The obsessive energy of a gambler provides the basis for some fascinating post-production treatment by the people who made this film. Talking head monologues become rap raves, as the gambler becomes less and less of a person while he pursues his pot of gold. Meanwhile, the gambler's wife is equally obsessed — with house renovations and the affections of the rich. Her greatest moment seems to have been the installation of the bidetl

But underneath all this is a clear perspective of the mindless acquisitiveness of Thatcher's England. The corruption that easy money brings and the paucity of culture in the lives of the gambling couple, makes for a sorry story.

The raw material could have been quite tedious in itself, but selective editing and organisation brings the film to life in a way that suggests other ways forward for the documentary genre. - (MB)