Review by soundoflight

Like most Paul Schrader directed films I've seen, there's a better story lurking in the material than the one we ultimately get presented to us on the screen. It's unfortunate, because the first half of the film or so is quite compelling. The performance by Oscar Issac is outstanding, and premise of an ex-military interrogator with a dark past, turned into a 'card counter' is a very interesting one, as are the portrayals of that sort of casino-lifestyle. But it quickly gets thrown away, as the film stops paying attention to the gambling aspects, showing us the act of gambling without bothering to show us the cards or show us what's happening. Why not? Does Schrader think the viewer is too dumb to follow along? Or perhaps he didn't want to make a "gambling film" but that's an odd choice indeed for film where 75% of the shots are inside a casino.

Schrader's direction style also takes something away, as it always comes across to me as "cheap," for lack of a better word. He shoots digital, and his films LOOK digital, whereas better directors are able to at least mimic film (for which there's no real replacement, Tarantino is correct there). And everything is so basic. Basic fadeouts on scenes, standard dialogue shots, etc. I think his craft is slowly improving over time, but I really wish he would hand this material over to a director who could do so much more with it, or perhaps partner with a really good DP.

The ending of the film feels rushed, and ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied. However, I still recommend it to people who like genuine film, as it is miles better than any of the trash Netflix is churning out these days.