Direction: Paul Schrader
Country: USA
Paul Schrader rose to prominence as a writer - with Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980) and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), all three directed by Martin Scorsese - as well as a director with Affliction (1997), Mishima: a Life in Four Chapters (1985) and First Reformed (2017). As a long-time adept of character studies, he returns with The Card Counter, a crime drama film centered on a lone blackjack gambler and former military interrogator, William Tell (Oscar Isaac), who links the gravitas of the casino world with the dark history of Abu Grahib. The idea is promising, the mood is appropriate and the acting is pretty decent, but still, the film is imperfect and uneven, presented with things that rubbed the wrong way.
William’s past is furiously revived after he meets Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a young indebted man who seeks revenge from the cruel Abu Grahib officer who led his father, also an interrogator, to commit suicide. William had been trained and motivated by the same man, John Gordo (Willem Dafoe), who, unlike him, was never brought to justice for his actions. Hence, he kind of smiles at the idea of killing him. However, he decides not to take that step, but rather helps Cirk solving his problems, while embracing an unexpected romance with a gambling financier named La Linda (Tiffany Haddish).
The film, drowsy in tone and slow in pace, reaches a ridiculous finale after showing a discouraging lack of nerve in the execution. In fact, the movie haunts us like a ballad whose tune you remember because its languor takes your energy away. Everything becomes off key in this story of guilt and redemption, which hits a few interesting notes without ever creating a satisfying melody. In spite of the misstep, Schrader remains a valid director, who can easily come up with superior stuff in the future.
