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Lawrence Osborne's "Ballad of a Small Player": Macau's Sordid Underbelly Gets the Hollywoo... Lawrence Osborne's "Ballad of a Small Player": Macau's Sordid Underbelly Gets the Hollywood Treatment (But Will It Ring True?)
From Sussex Scandal to Macau's Marble Floors: The Osborne Origin Story
So, Lawrence Osborne's life is getting the silver screen treatment, huh? "The Ballad of a Small Player," his novel about a disgraced dude fleeing to Macau, is now a movie. Fine. But let's be real, the interesting part isn't the glitz of Macau or Colin Farrell's acting—it's how Osborne himself, a self-described "loser," managed to spin his own weird life into something Hollywood wants to touch.
The guy's origin story is straight out of a movie itself. A childhood scandal involving a cheated spinster next door? That's practically begging for a screenplay. Osborne admits the character of Lord Doyle is ripped straight from that memory. He even copped the name from some egg tart mogul in Macau... Lord Stow, apparently. How a childhood scandal and Macau’s shadows shaped Lawrence Osborne’s anti-hero
But the real question is, how much of Osborne's own "down at heel" existence bleeds into his work? He says most of us are losers, and maybe he's right. I mean, who hasn't felt like they're just one bad bet away from total ruin? Osborne's just got a knack for turning that feeling into a narrative.
And Macau, offcourse, plays a starring role. The casinos, the jade sculptures of Guanyin cheek-by-jowl with roulette tables... Osborne calls it a "supernatural superstition facility." Sounds about right. It's a place where desperation and delusion go hand-in-hand, a perfect backdrop for a story about a guy on the run.
Hong Kong's Helping Hand?
Then there's the Hong Kong angle. The movie was shot partly in Hong Kong, drone shots showing the fishing village of Sok Kwu Wan. But beyond the scenery, Hong Kong's got bigger plans for its relationship with Macau. Apparently, the central government in Beijing is pushing for closer ties, trying to turn Hong Kong into a "super-connector" for China's global ambitions. Hong Kong, Macao to get more support
Will this "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity" actually make a difference? Or is it just more bureaucratic blah blah? I mean, let's be real, Hong Kong's already got its hands full. They expect us to believe this nonsense, and honestly...
And what about the average Joe in Hong Kong and Macau? Will they actually benefit from all this "enhanced infrastructure," or will it just be another way for the rich to get richer?
Macau: Boom or Bust?
Macau's gaming revenue is supposedly on the upswing. GGR per visitor increased 5% in October, thanks to those oh-so-important "premium mass patrons." Translation: rich people are gambling more. But the overall trend for the year is still down. So, which is it? Are things getting better, or are we just seeing a temporary blip?
The numbers are all over the place. Visitor numbers are up, but spending per visitor is down. Five-star hotel rooms are still ridiculously expensive, but the average cost is dropping. It's like trying to read tea leaves after a hurricane.
The government's got targets for recovery, but who knows if they'll actually hit them. It all depends on attracting more tourists, not just from mainland China, but from international markets too. Can Macau compete with Vegas? With Singapore? With the freaking Metaverse?
And let's not forget the elephant in the room: China's economy. If things go south there, Macau's gonna feel the pain.
I swear, trying to make sense of this stuff sometimes feels like herding cats.
So, What's the Real Story?
Osborne's a smart guy, and he's tapped into something real about human nature and the allure of places like Macau. But let's not pretend this movie is going to be some profound statement about the human condition. It's entertainment. And maybe, just maybe, it'll make us think twice before blowing our life savings at the baccarat table. Or maybe not.