Eric Prime Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 Discuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webslinger Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 Though it seems much different from First Reformed at first glance, The Card Counter actually works as a really fascinating companion piece to Paul Schrader's preceding film. At first glance, the films feel like polar opposites. First Reformed's Rev. Toller is, at his core, a good man who loses his grip when faced with the corruption and moral rot of the world, while The Card Counter's protagonist, William Tell, is a man with a troubled past who has methodically carved out a sense of peace through routine and - as he puts it - modest goals. And yet, both films feel like excellent studies in how these two very different men deal with isolation, trauma, intimacy, and trying to help another man in a situation more precarious than his own. Somehow, Schrader also pulls it off without making this film feel like an overt riff on his past themes; instead, it all feels organic and dynamic. It also boasts a terrific lead performance from Oscar Isaac, who masterfully packs tons of meaning into William's every word and gesture. A- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...