Rent The Card Counter on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Paul Schrader
Directed by: Paul Schrader
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
This revenge thriller tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past.
Verdict
A gambler that holds on to nothing, living a sparse life on the road, has his daily routine upended when he runs into someone from his past.
It depends.
Review
I really liked Schrader's previous movie First Reformed. This certainly explores similar themes of a character trying to reconcile who they are.
The opening credits crawl with the moody music feels like a throwback to movie of the 80s. The voice over from William (Oscar Isaac) tells us how he feared being confined but ended up in jail and adapted well, even liking the daily routine. Now he's out and gambles, winning just enough to survive.
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| Oscar Isaac plays William Tell |
The movie wants William to be intriguing. He travels daily, only visiting small casinos. In each motel room he covers all of the furniture with white sheets, removing any decor. It seems like he's recreating a jail cell. He seems to be living in a prison of his own design, isolating himself from everything by constant travel.
William's simple life now has a wrinkle when Cirk (Tye Sheridan) recognizes him at a casino. Cirk wants to avenge his father who knew William. William takes on Cirk as some kind of protege, and it really seems like this is some kind of penance for his crime. Maybe he wants to stop Cirk from making the same mistakes or feels like he owes Cirk's dad something.
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| Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan play William Tell, Cirk |
This movie is William wrestling with his past. He was taught and trained in advanced interrogation techniques which are torture. William went to jail for it where the higher ranking guys that taught him faced no repercussions. Cirk wants to right that. William urges him to let it be.
It's a slow paced movie that builds this character and shows us why he's like this. It seems like his life will be upended, but also he's not really living. He has created a routine where he never has any roots.
William ends up confronting Gordo (Willem Dafoe), the same man Cirk planned to confront. There's a really neat scene that depicts this confrontation. It doesn't show much, but provides all you need. It's nice directing. The movie leave it to us to decide whether William confronts Gordo for himself, Cirk, Cirk's dad, or just as general principle.
There's a play between the life he's created for himself and the life he knows will follow if he opts for vengeance. Gambling is the backdrop, but it's never portrayed as exciting. William gambles because it's an easy way for him to pay the bills with his background. It's an interesting character study, and while well done, it doesn't feel all that fresh.
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