Entering the world of gambling means you leave your morals at the door. If it’s not a heist film, the hijinks and light comedy are left far behind making room for a character study and possible desperate high stakes. Paul Schrader is no stranger to the deep, dark brooding of the character piece where a man has to make some difficult choices.
William Tell lives a solitary life since his release from military prison after completing 8 years of his sentence. Having learnt to count cards in prison, he spends his days in casinos, betting small, winning modestly so as to not attract attention and continue living under the radar. But when he meets Cirk, the son of a fellow soldier who was also convicted at the same time as Tell, he changes his routine. Wanting to help the troubled Cirk and deter him from his own path of revenge, he decides to take part in a circuit of national poker competitions, which comes with its own strings attached.
Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.