Movie Review: The Card Counter

07:38
24 Oct

The Card Counter movie was released to the public on September 10, 2021. This is a movie produced by Martin Scorcese, directed and written by Paul Schrader, and tells us a story about a former serviceman and gambler trying to help one young man looking for revenge on their mutual enemy. In their pursuit for revenge, a mysterious gambling financier, La Linda, will be backing them up, and this is where things will heat up.

The main star in the movie is Oscar Isaac (as William Tell), who is known for his amazing performance in Ex Machina that aired back in 2014. Tiffany Haddish is playing the role of La Linda, and Tye Sheridan is playing the role of Circ.

The movie has an IMDB rating of 6.2/10, which is an average number. It is 110 minutes long, and if you would like to see some of its most interesting scenes, here is a trailer that you can check.

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WSOP branding

We all know that counting cards cannot be applied to poker. The movie begins with a Blackjack scene and an explanation about the process of counting cards (do not try this at your local casino). A little bit later in the movie, you are going to see some spectacular branding of the World Series of Poker or WSOP.

We should congratulate the filmmakers who have arranged such a deal with WSOP, a strict brand with its partnerships. This is a part of the movie where the viewers can learn everything about the terms make-up and staking in poker.

It was a smart move by the filmmakers that they have hired Tom Franklin and Joe "Stapes" Stapleton as a consultant and advisor in the production of the Card Counter. This is of great importance because there are a lot of poker movies where the poker part of the movie isn't making a lot of sense. Here is a recent tweet from Norman Chad:

Also, Paul Schrader did a great job with his decision to not show any significant poker hands. This is good because the viewers are being held in anticipation in every big hand that Tell plays.

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The Card Counter's most interesting scenes

One of the best scenes in the movie is where all of the main characters are headed to a poker tournament, and the hallway they are crossing is full of real life poker stands such as D & B Publishing, OddsChecker, RunGood Poker Gear, and so on. Also, it is quite satisfactory to see Tiffany Haddish wearing a WSOP t-shirt in another scene.

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Final Words

Even though there are several poker scenes where Oscar Isaac is playing poker or poker is involved, you shouldn't expect a movie with an accent on the game poker. It is more of a thriller movie, in which poker plays a big role. So, if you are up for watching a poker-themed thriller Hollywood movie with amazing actors as Oscar Isaac, we are sure that you won't be disappointed. If you liked the movie Runner Runner starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake, then we are confident that you are going to love this one too.