Entering the world of gambling means you leave your morals at the door. If it's not a heist film, the hijinks and light comedy are left far behind making room for a character study and possible desperate high stakes. Paul Schrader is no stranger to the deep, dark, brooding character piece where a man has to make some difficult choices.
William Tell lives a solitary life since his release from military prison after completing 8 years of his sentence. Having learnt to count cards in prison, he spends his days in casinos, betting small, winning modestly so as to not attract attention and continue living under the radar. But when he meets Cirk, the son of a fellow soldier who was also convicted at the same time as Tell, he changes his routine. Wanting to help the troubled Cirk and deter him from his own path of revenge, he decides to take part in a circuit of national poker competitions, which comes with its own strings attached.
Thankfully the film is not about a gambler with money issues, or in connection to the seedy underbelly of whatever town he ends up in. But the main story is quite a detour from what you might expect from the title. Although William Tell is a card player and gambler, his past crimes are what haunt him and what has him on this strange nomadic existence. When Cirk appears in the film, the story abruptly changes to that of revenge and redemption. Connecting the characters to the crimes committed by soldiers at Abu Ghraib felt like a strange narrative turn but Shrader has always included a political angle in his films. Having the film focus on Tell's past was always going to be a motive for him taking part in the poker competitions he had avoided, these being the least interesting part of the film. The most electrifying moments are the conversations shared between the main characters.
With Schrader's films, there needs to be a charismatic actor at the helm and while Oscar Issac as William Tell is at the forefront, Schrader is gifted three such lead actors. Issac is always a compelling watch even as he blank stares us down for the entire film, he does so with such ease you cannot take your eyes off him. Tiffany Haddish is a such a talent and its great to see her in another dramatic role. Without even trying she is able to bring natural charisma to the role which in another actor's hands might have come off as thankless. But as gambling stable runner La Linda, Haddish almost steals the screen. Tye Sheridan has quietly been racking up roles (X-Men films aside) that show his range and promise for the future. As the revenge minded Cirk, he adds another great entry to his resume. Shrader's long-time collaborator, Willem Dafoe, also gets an integral part, which is always appreciated.
Upon its release, The Card Counter made a small impact, while critics had a mixed response. But this reaction seems to be the way with Schrader's films, either creating a buzz or flying under the radar, it's a shame that The Card Counter was the latter. Although the plot does seem to divert from the main story, the performances from the main cast steer it back to focus into a decent thriller.
The Card Counter is out now on DVD & Blu ray
