The Card Counter
FOCUS FEATURESWhen Paul Schrader delivered First Reformed upon audiences in 2017, viewers were met with a ferociously intelligent and intense critique on religion and the role it plays in atrocities, all filtered through the lens of one pastor’s struggle for purpose. Now with his latest effort, The Card Counter, Schrader gives audiences yet another deceptively lowkey thriller that sets its sights on loftier moral aspirations while following one man’s descent, although not quite to the same effect.
The Card Counter revolves around poker aficionado William Tell, living a boring life of gambling day after day. When Tell is approached by Tiffany Haddish’s La Linda, a fellow poker shark who offers to stake him in a tournament, and Tye Sheridan’s Cirk, a young man with ties to Tell’s past, he begins down a path that he hopes will bring him some redemption and freedom.
The star of the show here is Schrader, an absolute master of his craft. The direction and staging in The Card Counter all serve the same unnerving effect that the movie is going for. The director will linger on scenes for just a bit too long, go into memories shot through a disorienting fish-eye lense, move into completely dialogue-less passages of characters just existing – all within minutes of one another. The movie is meticulously designed to disorient, but it never comes across as unintentional or jumbled. Schrader's vision is clear and present throughout. The cinematography from Alexander Dyanan and editing from Benjamin Roderiguez Jr. should also be commended. The two work perfectly in tandem with Schrader to craft such a tight, unnerving feeling throughout the film.
The score from composers Robert Levon Been and Giancarlo Vulcano is also a standout. Starting as sparse and straightforward synths, the score builds and grows as the plot of the movie unfolds, eventually incorporating haunting vocalisations, until, by the end, it is exploded into a full-blown soundtrack. The music adds so much to the tense atmosphere.
Where the film lacks, however, is in its script. While Schrader is unarguably a wiz behind the camera, the screenplay for The Card Counter is missing a certain air of urgency or conflict. The movie is mainly focused on establishing its character relationships and exploring their respective traumas as they move from one poker game to the next. The movie even stops for a moment to point out how the film's events have become repetitive, so clearly, Schrader is attempting to illustrate the monotony of the protagonist’s lifestyle.
Oscar Isaac does, however, deliver an outstanding performance as brooding protagonist and titular card counter, William Tell. It is a performance that oozes subtle nuances and ticks that hint at the rage just seething below the character’s surface. Making his backstory so mysterious for most of the runtime does leave Tell a bit one-note, but Isaac adds such a slick, tortured energy to the character that the viewer cannot look away when he is let loose to act. In particular, there is one monologue that he delivers in a diner that is just *chef’s kiss*.
The supporting cast does their best to keep pace. Tiffany Haddish and Tye Sheridan are functional in their roles, albeit a little stilted and out of their depth compared to the sheer technical brilliance Isaac and Schrader display. Willem Dafoe also makes for a welcome presence in his little screen time, giving a pretty despicable character a layer of humanity only Dafoe could provide.
If First Reformed is Schrader’s examination of the human soul, then The Card Counter is his examination of the human mind and how dangerous prisons of our own making can be. The Card Counter is a worthy entry in the Schrader canon. It is wonderfully shot, terrifically acted, and scored to near perfection. Nevertheless, a lack of a real driving force in the plot and weak supporting performances leave a bit to be desired. It is not an amazing hand for Schrader, but a solid one.