The Card Counter – Film Review

William Tell (Oscar Isaac) is a gambler and former serviceman who sets out to reform a young man seeking revenge on a mutual enemy from their past. Tell just wants to play cards. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk.

Paul Schrader is somewhat of a controversial figure in the filmmaking industry because he simply doesn’t care what anybody thinks about his beliefs. If you take a look at his Facebook profile, you will see a whole bunch of his strange comments, but there is simply no denying that he is a great director. 2017’s First Reformed was easily one of the best films released that year although it didn’t really get too much widespread attention which is a big shame because it was a deep and genuinely unnerving look at faith and what happens when you lose it.

It’s been four years and he is back once again with The Card Counter, which is yet another subtle drama that focuses on the aforementioned William Tell and his gambling habits. As a lead protagonist, he is definitely incredibly intriguing because of just how mysterious he is. Throughout the film’s running time, we learn small fragments about his life and how he came to this point in this life and yet there’s always some strange, hard-to-describe feeling of unease with his character.

He’s one of those guys that maybe gives you the creeps by looking at him but is it because he is just super mysterious or does he have a legitimate secret that he’s hiding? The Card Counter eventually delves into this question in the third act which is by far the best of the three. The first two acts serve as set-up acts with bits and pieces of story threaded along the way. Because the film moves along so slowly, it can be quite boring at times. The level of intensity that was in First Reformed is not transferred over here, but once you see where the film is ultimately heading, it’s hard not to appreciate it.

Oscar Isaac continues to prove his sheer excellence yet again in the role of William Tell. Had any other actor portrayed this character, I’m not sure Schrader’s vision of his film would’ve been fully realized to its utmost potential. Isaac is able to convey so much emotion just by a few facial cues. In fact, a lot of the scenes in this film don’t have him talking. When he does talk, however, it’s always meaningful and it’s always for a reason.

Tye Sheridan is also superb in the role of the illustrious Cirk who is probably my favorite character in this story simply because of how eerie his character was. Fans of Ready Player One will definitely be shocked to see a more unhinged version of their beloved Wade “Parzival” Watts here. Also, who knew Tiffany Haddish could do so well as a dramatic actor? She can be quite funny in a lot of things, but I truly didn’t know she had the dramatic chops in her, but The Card Counter more than proves that she does.

And, like always in a Schrader production, the cinematography is absolutely stellar. Alexander Dynan litters the film with tons of wide-shots and close-ups, crafting one of the best-looking movies of the year so far in terms of the visual side of things. I just wish that The Card Counter had a little bit more of a punch. It’s definitely entertaining for quite a while but it does suffer dramatically in the second act and it doesn’t leave that lasting mark that so many Schrader films do. Even still, I’m willing to bet that most folks are going to find plenty to enjoy with his newest outing.