Paul Schrader, for readers not in the know, is one of most important filmmakers working today. That seems a fairly obvious thing to point out, but you’d be amazed how few people are aware of the man’s work. He’s easily best known as the screenwriter of immortal classics like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. But before and after those monumental collaborations with Martin Scorsese, Schrader has himself been behind the camera on numerous films over the last 50 years. His 1985 effort, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, which I only recently had the good fortune to see, is one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had. I’d rank that, and his most recent work, First Reformed, as nearly the equal of the his most famous collaborator’s renowned output. And even when he’s not producing capital-M masterpieces, he’s still whipping up absorbing character studies. I can’t say I’ve seen them all (one day!) but I won’t let a moment go by without mentioning my father’s favorite, the George C. Scott-starring Hardcore, another one I only recently saw – thank you Criterion Channel!
This week sees the release of The Card Counter, Schrader’s latest example of men reckoning with the sins of their past and attempting to adapt to the world as it changes around them. This time, his focal point is a card shark named “William Tell” (Oscar Isaac), who after being released from prison for being a part of the atrocities at Abu Ghraib, settles into a hand to mouth existence as a professional gambler. By day, he’s counting cards at blackjack tables. At night, he’s sorting, through the written word, the evils he willingly took part in.
His patterns are disrupted when he runs across an angry young man named Cirk (Tye Sheridan), whose father also served in Abu Ghraib and gave way to an experience there that led to greater tragedy. Cirk wants revenge on the guy that ran the show, Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe), while William wants to prevent Cirk from spiraling into the kind of person he knows all too well: himself. And so, he teams up with a handler of gambling talent, La Linda (Tiffany Haddish), and they hit the road to earn enough money through poker tournaments to get Cirk’s debts paid off and his life back on track.
The Card Counter works best when its exploring themes surrounding its title character, particularly the toll that physically and mentally torturing other humans can have on one’s psyche. There are moments within the film that flash back to William’s experience within the prison facility as part of Gordo’s unit that are among some of the most arresting pieces of footage that Schrader has ever shot and among the most masterful filmmaking I’ve seen this year. The narrative is a bit less successful when it centers its focus on the actual mechanics of gambling and William attempting to work his way into the upper echelons of tournament poker. Learning the basics of counting cards is pretty novel from the outset, but the actual experience of watching people play poker begins to slowly drain the life from things.
William and his compatriots at Abu Ghraib are emblematic of a current trend in culture in which the easiest to punish are given the brunt of the world’s scorn, while the actual people making the decision and creating the environments that give way to these heinous acts get to carry on their profiteering ways with nary a scratch on their name. Taken in that light, Cirk’s mission of vengeance becomes all the more resonant as the product of this kind of phenomenon, while William attempts to serve as a counterpoint, finding better ways in the ruin rather than perpetuating the same mistakes. Was the broader statement intentional? It’s difficult to say, but as a keen observer of human nature, this may be the point Schrader is circling around. Someone has to pay – it’s just so rarely the right people.
The other great weapon that the The Card Counter relies on as an asset is Isaac himself, who is able to meet the oft-heightened reality of Schrader’s words on the page head-on and turn the somewhat writely narration into a 2 hour battle for his own soul. It’s not surprising. Isaac is one of the most dependable performers of the last decade, but watching the alchemy of writer meeting actor in such a perfect way is spellbinding. Sadly, Sheridan and Haddish both seem pretty lost at times in how to tackle the material. While a refreshing casting in theory, the role never seems to match the specific energy that is Haddish’s stock in trade, and her chemistry with Isaac is pretty much nil. Sheridan struggles are on greater display as its another example of a younger, much more middling actor, attempting to keep up with someone running rings around him. In both cases, it’s Isaac carrying the weight of their interactions, and he’s so good, it just about works anyway.
Still, The Card Counter is firmly middle of the pack Schrader, more Light Sleeper than Mishima. But mid-tier Schrader is still far better than most.
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