paul schrader – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

THE CARD COUNTER – Review by Susan Granger

June 13, 2022June 17, 2022 Susan Granger Oscar Isaac, paul schrader, The Card Counter, Tiffany Haddish, willem dafoe

When Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter opens with graphic shots of the torture chambers at Abu Ghraib prison, it immediately telegraphs that this drama will be more about brutality than blackjack. Haunted by memories of what he’s done, ascetic William Tillich is a disgraced former military ‘interrogator’ who uses the surname ‘Tell’ and roams the country living under the radar as part of the low-stakes casino circuit, never wanting to draw attention to himself as a big winner.

Reviews

THE CARD COUNTER – Review by Diane Carson

September 14, 2021September 19, 2021 Diane Carson Oscar Isaac, paul schrader, The Card Counter, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, willem dafoe

Buried deep within his PTSD throughout The Card Counter, William Tell, aka Bill Tillich, robotically counts cards at blackjack and poker. William had time to develop this talent during ten years in prison, using incarceration to his advantage. Now, rambling alone from casino to casino, he wins enough to get by but never so much the pit boss hassles him.

Reviews

FIRST REFORMED — Review by Susan Granger

June 18, 2018August 14, 2018 Susan Granger 0 Comments first reformed, paul schrader

Ethan Hawke plays an alcoholic, emotionally tormented, cancer-plagued pastor in this bleak, character-driven drama. In upstate New York, Reverend Ernst