The Card Counter (2021) Film Review
In the center of Paul Schrader‘s The Card Counter, William Tell is a man who after spending years in prison is finally free. His spirit is that of a nomad who has taught himself to count cards and cheat the gambling system. This is how he survives. With a couple of suitcases and depending on the coziness of motel rooms. Every night or day, he covers every piece of furniture in fabric, and sits around to journal himself to… sleep. Whatever’s necessary for him to rest. Because there’s nothing traditional about Tell. Not even how he performs when it’s time to put his mind to rest. He’s an enigma, and it’s OK. Schrader’s universe is full of these.
When Tell is emotionally forced to land on this social plane, he meets a young man with a troubled past and a thirst for revenge. Tell opens up and this is when we discover what’s behind the puzzle Schrader put together for us. Again, nothing traditional. More so in how the director conveys a narrative sense in current cinema. You know when you’re in Schrader’s grasp and, as pleasureless as his world is, sometimes they’re just magnetic forces. Tell’s story pulls you in and never lets you go.
But it’s all in Schrader’s style of storytelling. As usual The Card Counter doesn’t follow the regular structure for plot or characterization. Nevertheless, there’s an emotional gravitational pull that only grows with time. Characters are good, in their own sense. They will do good in this world, but considering which code? The morality-based tale The Card Counter, was written and directed by veteran Schrader, the director with an unhinged social media force that will speak to you directly if necessary. He holds no restraints when addressing the world of their true role in the rotten modern society where values are twisted towards convenience and yes, outrage tends to be selective and targeted at whatever the media tells you to consider.
In The Card Counter, the gambler decides to help the young man while studying potential success as a poker player and a lover. He decides he will do everything in his power to tilt the scale in his favor. If he wins, he will help the kid go back to normality and forget the reality Tell is partly responsible for. At least, it’s what he feels. A final decision in the third act sets the film on Schrader’s path to submit humankind to its darkest element. Tell succeeds, we think. But was it really necessary?
This is not a compelling film. Its emotional aspect follows Schrader’s style and rules. If you’re familiar with his career, you may already be deciding if this is your kind of film. Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan and Tiffany Haddish are exceptional in leading the complex plot.
