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7

MarkHReviewsOct 2, 2021

Writer/Director Paul Schrader was raised by parents who were strict Calvinists (a form of Protestant Christianity that heavily emphasizes the belief that people are predestined to a life of sin because of their universally corrupt natures).Writer/Director Paul Schrader was raised by parents who were strict Calvinists (a form of Protestant Christianity that heavily emphasizes the belief that people are predestined to a life of sin because of their universally corrupt natures). His upbringing heavily influenced Schrader’s screenwriting, which gravitates toward themes like sin and salvation. After bursting onto the scene as the screenwriter for Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” (1976) and following up by writing 1980’s “Raging Bull,” Schrader got behind the camera and began to explore the dark side of human nature in earnest. His previous film “First Reformed” (2017) is the character study of a minister grappling with internal personal despair as well as an existential angst brought on by the climate crisis.

In “The Card Counter,” Schrader again takes a deep dive into the concepts of revenge, redemption and self-loathing. William Tell (based on the fable? a reference to a tic/mannerism that causes a poker player’s undoing?) is a professional gambler tortured by his role as an interrogator at Abu Ghraib. He tries to keep other humans and his own past at arm’s length by traveling to mid-sized cities to participate in lower-level poker tournaments. Playing cards is the mechanism for keeping himself at bay. Keeping his expectations low is his defense mechanism against hope. An award-worthy Oscar Isaac (see what I did there?) is simply spectacular in the role. Along the way, Tell meets La Linda (Tiffany Haddish, playing it straight) who offers him financial backing and, perhaps, more. He befriends Cirt (Tye Sheridan), the bitter son of a fellow interrogator at Abu Ghraib who eventually committed suicide. Tell decides to change his modest career plans to redeem Cirt from his destructive focus on revenge.

Along the way, Schrader uses this story line to speculate about some very big questions: Is interaction with other people truly worthwhile and rewarding? Is the American adventurism of the early 2000s, represented by Abu Ghraib, an indication of a nation rotting from the inside? Is the main constraint on humans the self-limiting choices they make, made worse by their lack of imagination?

Because this is a Schrader film, there are a few predictable elements. As in “Taxi Driver” and “First Reformed,” the protagonist/anti-hero is a diarist, using his writing to describe an internal agony that he cannot vocalize to another human being. This weightiness is offset, occasionally, by some absurdist comic relief. In several scenes, a Ukrainian poker player, decked out in red, white and blue for no apparent reason, is serenaded by loyal fans who chant “U.S.A., U.S.A.” whenever he wins a key hand.

It’s hard to evaluate whether to recommend this film for regular moviegoers. Critics, steeped in the work of Robert Bresson, transcendentalist filmmaking and French New Wave cinema will adore it. For us regular folks, the film’s unflinching examination of its characters, particularly Tell, offer their own rewards. But be forewarned, this film requires moviegoers to fill in some narrative blanks and interpret their own meanings at key points. (That’s a kind way of saying that I left the theater saying, “What the hell was that about?”)… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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8

CLAYTAYLOR21Dec 22, 2021

After the first 75 minutes, I thought that The Card Counter was an intriguing but messy film. Then the third act arrived, and my mind was changed completely. The twists and surprises were extremely impactful and will leave me pondering theAfter the first 75 minutes, I thought that The Card Counter was an intriguing but messy film. Then the third act arrived, and my mind was changed completely. The twists and surprises were extremely impactful and will leave me pondering the film for weeks to come. I also think that Oscar Isaac gave a terrific performance as William Tell, who may just be the most interesting character put to screen this year. The cinematography in this film is also fantastic. My only critiques would be the lifeless performance of Tye Sheridan as well as some unclear character motivations.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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7

bertobellamyMar 2, 2022

In 'The Card Counter,' Oscar Isaac plays a troubled man who hides his sins and his trauma on the winning cards he constantly lays on the table. As William Tell, Isaac gives a haunting performance with so many layers. By being impenetrable,In 'The Card Counter,' Oscar Isaac plays a troubled man who hides his sins and his trauma on the winning cards he constantly lays on the table. As William Tell, Isaac gives a haunting performance with so many layers. By being impenetrable, his character becomes mysterious and incredibly lonely, just like your regular Paul Schrader protagonist. I found it not as good as 'First Reformed,' and Tiffany Hadish is kind of distracting with her performance; nevertheless, there's a deep discourse here about USA's decadence that is worth checking out.… Expand

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7

moviemitch96Sep 12, 2021

The latest from writer/director Paul Schrader (of course best known for penning the screenplays for 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull), sees Oscar Isaac as a man drifting from casino to casino playing his hand and counting cards as a means ofThe latest from writer/director Paul Schrader (of course best known for penning the screenplays for 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull), sees Oscar Isaac as a man drifting from casino to casino playing his hand and counting cards as a means of escape from his troubled past that he can't quite seem to let go of. While this isn't the high stakes gambling thriller that you might expect, what we get instead is a slow burn yet rather fascinating character study from Isaac who gives an always reliably great performance here, along with great support from fellow actors Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, and Willem Dafoe. The writing and conversations are sharp and crisp, which is what really kept me invested throughout more than anything. And while the story may feel a little abstract at times, the performances and writing are what really make this one worth the watch. Overall, it's not quite as harrowing or thought-provoking as Schrader's previous film 'First Reformed', but it still further solidifies him as one of the most thoughtful and insightful screenwriters in the business… Expand

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7

JLuis_001Sep 16, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To judge this film in the first instance as a simple poker film, is basically to degrade it.
However, this is an element that Paul Schrader in my opinion cannot balance with the other and much deeper storyline that is part of it.

Putting the cards on the table, The Card Counter is a film that has enough elements to easily stand out, but it's also a film that never seeks to risk anything. Even with the darker tone it gets as it progresses.

Basically we're seeing two very different stories at the same time, that never manage to combine themselves properly.
The two involve the character played by Oscar Issac but they're so different that there are constant drops in terms of tonality and atmosphere.

His character is a lonely man that lives driving from one casino to another, being basically invisible earning a living.
He earns little while risking little.
So far, everything is generic, even the necessary explanation of how he does what he does, because obviously we need the character to let us know his intelligence and to explain to us, because apparently we cannot intuit that he's counting cards.

Until then, that's the life his character leads in his present.
But what about his past and the glaring evidence that he suffers from emotional and psychological trauma? That's the other plot that the film introduces.

It turns out that he's a former military who participated in the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
He appeared in the photographs that were taken with the prisoners, and when these were made public, he was one of those who had to pay for the broken dishes of his country's politics, ending up in Leavenworth.

The two stories themselves feel completely alien to each other, and in my opinion I think Paul Schrader never manages to balance them properly. Between the scenes at the card tables and the flashbacks that show glimpses of what happened at Abu Ghraib, there's a clear disconnect in tone.
And the elegant and solid but restrained performance of Oscar Issacs also fails to balance both sides.
And it's inevitable to ask yourself: Am I watching a poker film, or am I watching a political criticism film about torture?

The story leads the character to eventually confront what he clearly seeks to repress by living the way he lives, but Paul Schrader does not make it clean or cathartic, much less emotional.
Perhaps it gives some kind of absolution for the character, and along the way he seems to find something else, but unfortunately for The Card Counter, the message doesn't get across in a more powerful and convincing way.… Expand

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8

davemelbourne58Sep 12, 2021

Like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, the war has scarred Oscar Isaac's card counting poker/blackjack player William Tell. He is a loner traveling up and down the East Coast winning small pots at poker games in B & C level casinos, and stays offLike Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, the war has scarred Oscar Isaac's card counting poker/blackjack player William Tell. He is a loner traveling up and down the East Coast winning small pots at poker games in B & C level casinos, and stays off the griad as best as he can. Tiffany Haddish's character sees him at various tournaments and is intrigued. Someone out of William Tell's militay past seeks him out and William Tell see's the opportunity as a chance @ redemption. Sadly, things don't always work out the way we hoped. Fascinating character study. Great cast, directing and script… Expand

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9

AREVALOAREVALOSep 10, 2021

Outstanding movie that explains the origins of PTSD, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, the origins of the debacle in Afghanistan, etc. Well timed for the US exit from Afghanistan.

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8

LeonVitaliOct 26, 2021

A film that traces in the most absolute way the typical modus operandi of Schrader (which we remember him for having started his film career as a screenwriter, and having written masterpieces such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull etc ...): so whatA film that traces in the most absolute way the typical modus operandi of Schrader (which we remember him for having started his film career as a screenwriter, and having written masterpieces such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull etc ...): so what do we get? Voice-overs, characters in full existential crisis, who do labile jobs, in full sexual abstinence (topos that eviscerates a lot the director-screenwriter), and who roam at night in their car, whether they are drivers or passengers, it doesn't really matter, the important thing is that they are perpetually searching for balance, like a man back from Vietnam who kills time as a taxi driver, or like a drug dealer in search of safety, while in this case, a very skilled poker player with a terrible affair at the shoulders that pushes him to live in the shadow of his own life; it is therefore the story of William Tell, a mysterious man who earns his living by playing cards: his intertwining with Cirk, a boy who has a common enemy with the expert William Tell will finally lead him, perhaps, to redemption and redemption. It will therefore be their journey into human madness, revenge and redemption, which will make the viewer aware of the real horror of loneliness, madness and violence, just like a genetic disease, which is handed down from generation to generation. , as in the case of Cirk, whose father committed suicide for having committed terrible crimes, and the son, almost inheriting the gene of the criminal inheritance, dreams of revenge, and tells us, through his bloody words of lucid madness, what he would like to do to the common enemy, outlined by a magnificent and morbid Willem Dafoe, mostly crippled by the fish-eye lenses, which make everything even more hallucinated and visionary. Direction that perfectly manages to recreate the reality that surrounds the protagonist with raw realism: all the lights, although at first glance warm, are felt terribly cold by the viewer; we also find impeccable coherence in the music: as if they were antithetical to the story, they gently caress us, and while in the background the voice of Robert Levon Been whispers a love story between the protagonist and a woman, the wide-angle lenses slam us into face unprecedented violence like a slap, with physical but also psychological nuances. The actors are perfect: Oscar Isaac's inexpressiveness gives grace and depth to a man who has lost the sense of lucidity, and who lives on a razor's edge; an equally remarkable Tye Sheridan goes after him, but Willem Dafoe as always steals the show: in a few minutes he makes us fear what we see, painting with a few glances and a few jokes, a man irreversibly torn apart by the most unjustified violence, animal, primordial and brutal . Very good photography, clean and at times sensational. Excellent reflection on good and evil, and on how even the best person, with excellent intentions, can turn out to be the real evil in the end.… Expand

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8

Craftnight405May 6, 2023

William Tell (Oscar Isaac) ist ein ehemaliger US-Veteran und kommt aus dem Gefängnis. Dort lernte er das Kartenzählen und nutzt seine neuen Fertigkeiten, um sei es beim Black Jack oder Pokern zu gewinnen. Dabei trifft er den jungen Mann CirkWilliam Tell (Oscar Isaac) ist ein ehemaliger US-Veteran und kommt aus dem Gefängnis. Dort lernte er das Kartenzählen und nutzt seine neuen Fertigkeiten, um sei es beim Black Jack oder Pokern zu gewinnen. Dabei trifft er den jungen Mann Cirk (Tye Sheridan), welcher seinen Vater rächen möchte, in dem er dessen Vorgesetzten Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe) umbringt, welcher auch William ins Militärgefängnis gebracht hat.

The Card Counter ist ein ruhiger Film, welcher stark auf Dialog setzt und ruhig erzählt wird. Innerhalb des Films lernt man Williams Vergangenheit kennen und versteht immer mehr sein Weltbild und seine Beweggründe. Oscar Isaac spielt die Rolle sehr überzeugend und eher und die anderen Schauspieler harmonieren perfekt zueinander. Es gibt verschiedene Kameraeinstellungen, welche fantastisch sind z.b. die Ansicht von einer Taube. Das Ende ist so überragend und perfekt gespielt und umgesetzt. Es gibt einige Szenen wo nicht geschnitten wird und die ganze Zeit nur auf eine Stelle gefilmt wird. The Card Counter ist ein Film, welcher sich mit dem Thema Rache, Traumabewältigung auseinandersetzt. Der Film ist nicht für jeden gedacht, sondern eher für die Leute die es eher ruhiger mögen und auch gerne nachdenken beim Film schauen.

8/10… Expand

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