Writer/Director Paul Schrader wrote Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. As such, his films are darker, and their male protagonists are tortured souls ready to burst at the seams. In The Card Counter, (a perfect companion piece to his recent, great First Reformed) this theme meshes with military abuse and the thirst for vengeance. It also features a splendid, tightly wound performance by Oscar Isaac.
Bill (Isaac) is an ex-convict living a solitary existence roving from one casino and motel to the next. He regularly wins at blackjack and poker and quits before attracting attention. You see, he has mastered the art of counting cards while in prison. This attracts the attention of La Linda (Tiffany Haddish is effective in a dramatic role), who represents interested high roller investors. Bill also attracts the company of a young man, Cirk (Tye Sheridan), who has an agenda that involves a figure from Bill’s dark past. As a card tournament commences with huge stakes, Bill must confront his past that will forever alter his future.
Isaac
conveys a man (who could easily be a young Robert DeNiro) haunted by his past actions
and who is on a mission to mentor and help Cirk. He is supported by a marvelous cast including
Willem Dafoe. When Isaac and Haddish get
together, there are sparks.
The
film details the intricate, mathematical odds of beating the dealer; it’s a
fascinating world. The motive of revenge weighs heavily in the narrative and,
as in many of Schrader’s characters, there builds a level of intensity that foreshadows
an ominous foreboding of violence.
This
seemingly simplistic film ultimately becomes a complex study in obsession,
compassion, forgiveness, and love as exemplified by the memorable final shot. Fans
of Schrader will not be disappointed.
***1/2
of **** stars
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