A former military interrogator turns into a gambler haunted by his past. All of this is told in director Paul Schrader’s suspenseful drama, “The Card Counter.”
The film “The Card Counter” features the figure of William Tell, played by actor Oscar Isaac. William Tell is a gambler who is adept at counting cards, as a chance to win at gambling. This ability he learned self-taught while in a military prison.
Now, as a gambler, his trademark is to bet small amounts and win naturally. One day he meets a young man who wants to take revenge for what happened to his family. He also tried to help the young man not to commit a crime by inviting him to gamble.
To get into his role, actor, Oscar Isaac learned about the art of playing cards or cardistry, specifically how to play a deck of cards. However, to be able to recognize the psychological side of his character more deeply, of course, requires further effort.
One of them is through a book called “The Body Keeps the Score” which was introduced by director Paul Schrader about trauma.
“What’s interesting is when I see the trauma that (William’s character) has caused, which is the result of trauma that (William) has caused other people. I’ve also watched documentaries that deal with the conflict over Leavenworth prison and what happened at Abu Ghraib (red- which is the background of the story in the film),” Oscar Isaac told the Associated Press.
Actress Tiffany Haddish who is famous through the comedy television series “The Carmichael Show” also plays in this film as a gambling agent named, La Linda. He didn’t know how to count cards himself, but knew people who could.
“Am I good at counting cards? No. Do I know that counting is going on (in the game)? Yes,” Tiffany Haddish told the Associated Press.
When comparing the world of Hollywood to the game of poker, Tiffany said that she was always taught to show facial expressions like poker players, who never show true emotion.
However, to the Associated Press, he admitted that he was a person who was always open and let people know his feelings. Especially when he needs help.
The film “The Card Counter” also features actor Tye Sheridan, who is famous for the film “Ready Player One.” In this film Tye plays a young man who wants to take revenge for what happened to his family.
“I’m good at math. I think I got better at it when I was in school where I studied every day. Now being a poker player in movies, it’s an excuse for me to learn how to count cards,” Tye Sheridan told the Associated Press.
Director Paul Schrader himself said that research on poker was not too difficult and he could do it in one day. It would be a different matter if he worked on a film about horticulture, which, if he researched it could take a lifetime or even have no end.
“Poker isn’t hard to learn. I could do a lifetime of research or (if) do a film about horticulture. Poker can be learned in a day,” he told the Associated Press.
However, according to him to be able to play poker and card counting, one must have a mathematical mind.
“You have to be able to see all the cards and the chances of all the players. It’s a skill you can practice,” he said again.
The film “The Card Counter”, which was produced by the famous director Martin Scorsese, is now showing in America. Until now, the film, which also features actor Willem Dafoe has earned as much as 3.4 million US dollars.
