HE’S PLAYING THE HAND HE WAS DEALT.
Professional gambler William Tell (Oscar Isaac) is approached by a young man (Tye Sheridan) who knows his real name and background, and has a disturbing plan involving a common enemy.
Paul Schrader once again offers his leading character an existential crisis to navigate, this time a man who’s been in prison for eight years and has learned how to make enough money at casinos without getting thrown out.
Isaac is very good in the lead and the film benefits from its measured pace, building a sense of romance (involving a woman who’s interested in Isaac’s card skills) and haunting atmosphere in scenes. Dark but still hopeful.
2021-U.S. 112 min. Color. Written and directed by Paul Schrader. Cast: Oscar Isaac (William Tell), Tiffany Haddish (La Linda), Tye Sheridan (Cirk Baufort), Willem Dafoe.
Trivia: Co-executive produced by Martin Scorsese. Shia LaBeouf was reportedly considered for the part of Cirk.
Last word: “I thought about the essence of playing cards every day, or sitting in front of a slot machine. It’s kind of zombie-like. You see commercials of people in casinos laughing. But it’s a pretty glum place. Today with slots you don’t even have to pull the lever. You just sit there and let the numbers roll. I was wondering why someone would choose to live in that sort of purgatory. He doesn’t want to be alive, but he can’t really be dead, either. What could cause that? It can’t be a simple crime, murder, or a family dispute. It has to be something unforgivable. And that was Abu Ghraib.'” (Schrader, Indiewire)