Righteousness, fate and revenge are the themes of this film. This sounds spectacular, but 'The Card Counter' is not an action packed thriller. Rather, it is an introspective movie, delving into the psychological motivations of the protagonists.
The only action scenes are short flashbacks of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Oscar Isaac plays William, one of the soldiers involved in the crimes committed there. Afterwards, he has spent many years in military prison for his misbehaviour, while the officer who gave the orders was not punished because he worked for a private contractor.
William has become a man without emotions, leading a solitary and anonymous life, and earning his money as a card player in casinos. By coincidence, an encounter with the son of another soldier revives the memories of the war. He sets out a plan to deal with the consequences of the past.
The film's setting fits its theme. Most scenes take place in the anonymous, drab and interchangeable interors of casinos and motels, populated by unusual and sometimes weird characters. William doesn't seem to have a home or a family. He behaves like a man who has seen everything and doesn't really care. The encounter seems to change that: after all, he does care about people.
The slow succession of events leads to an unexpected and bitter ending, but the beautiful last image of two fingers almost touching each other suggest that, after all, something has changed in William's life.
The only action scenes are short flashbacks of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Oscar Isaac plays William, one of the soldiers involved in the crimes committed there. Afterwards, he has spent many years in military prison for his misbehaviour, while the officer who gave the orders was not punished because he worked for a private contractor.
William has become a man without emotions, leading a solitary and anonymous life, and earning his money as a card player in casinos. By coincidence, an encounter with the son of another soldier revives the memories of the war. He sets out a plan to deal with the consequences of the past.
The film's setting fits its theme. Most scenes take place in the anonymous, drab and interchangeable interors of casinos and motels, populated by unusual and sometimes weird characters. William doesn't seem to have a home or a family. He behaves like a man who has seen everything and doesn't really care. The encounter seems to change that: after all, he does care about people.
The slow succession of events leads to an unexpected and bitter ending, but the beautiful last image of two fingers almost touching each other suggest that, after all, something has changed in William's life.