Let’s just start off by saying that there is only one Rounders. Neither one of the new movies are trying to be a Rounders or depict the realities of a life in poker.
With that said, however, one of the movies – The Card Counter – has a particular tie to the poker community. Not only is the main character a poker player, a longtime member of the poker community consulted on the film. Longtime poker commentator and comedian Joe Stapleton worked to ensure the integrity of the poker hands and scenes.
The other movie is Poker Face, which is still filming in Australia. It centers around a poker game but focuses primarily on the reasons surrounding the players meeting and the drama and mystery that ensue.
The Card Counter in US Theaters Today
Contrary to the title of the movie, nothing in The Card Counter implies that a player can “count cards” in poker rather than blackjack. That title is a bit misleading. However, with names like Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader attached to it, one can trust that the title was intentional and will make sense after watching the film.
Speaking of big names, Scorsese is listed as the executive producer of The Card Counter, and Shrader wrote and directed the film. Scorsese is a legend and needs no introduction. For those unfamiliar with Shrader, we can point to a very long line of films with his name on them. Notably, one of the first that he wrote was Taxi Driver, the 1976 film directed by Scorsese, followed by Raging Bull, which Schrader cowrote and Scorsese again produced. Schrader also wrote and directed the highly-acclaimed First Reformed that released in 2017.
The logline for the latest Schrader film is simple: “an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RvVT1cDiNc
It stars Oscar Isaac, perhaps best known for his appearances in some recent Star Wars films and his role as Apocalypse in an X-Men film. In non-action works, he received high praise for his roles in Inside Llewyn Davis by the Coen Brothers and the 2015 HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero. In this, film, he plays William Tell, a former member of the military who tries to reform a young man who wants revenge on a mutual enemy of theirs from the past. Tell simply wants to play poker and gamble, but he is enticed by helping the younger man and achieving some type of redemption.
Isaac is joined by love interest Tiffany Haddish, primarily known for her comedic roles. Haddish plays a gambling financier in this film and ultimately becomes Tell’s love interest. And Tye Sheridan, another X-Men alum and named an actor to watch by Variety, plays a serious role alongside classic actor Willem Dafoe.
With so many poker scenes, Shrader wanted to ensure continuity and accuracy so he hired a poker consultant. That person was Joe Stapleton. He apparently also makes a cameo in the film, as do poker brands like the WSOP.
The Card Counter hits most theaters in the United States today.
Solid Reviews
The film endured its troubles as it began filming prior to the pandemic-related lockdowns but had to stop in March 2020. They wanted to try to finish filming before the lockdown, but with only a handful of days to go, a minor cast member tested positive for Covid-19. It wasn’t until five or six months later that the cast and crew were able to return to Biloxi, Mississippi to complete it.
The positive aspect of the lockdown, according to Deadline, was that Schrader was able to edit the majority of the movie. And as a largely independent film, bought later by Focus Features, they were granted some leeway with the timing of it all. Now, it’s hitting theaters this weekend.
The Card Counter premiered at the Venice Film Festival in Italy during the first days of September. Positive reviews joined others from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. The latter received positive reviews from 29 of 33 reviewers, with the other four as mixed and no negatives.
https://twitter.com/JenniferTilly/status/1419750303197507588?s=20
Stapleton hosted a showing and question/answer session in Philadelphia on September 9 exclusively for PokerStars Pennsylvania players.
https://twitter.com/Stapes/status/1436309866830835741?s=20
Poker Face Due Out in 2022
The biggest selling point to this film is that Russell Crowe directs and stars in it. Liam Hemsworth is another featured character, as is RZA of Wu-Tang. And, of course, the title Poker Face garners some attention as well.
There is an underlying poker theme in the movie. Crowe portrays a tech billionaire who invites old friends to his home for a high-stakes poker game. They don’t all get along well, nor does Crowe like all of them much. He is described as a “master game-player/planner” whose real purpose is to enact revenge on them for past events. Everything changes, however, when a criminal creates a home invasion scenario.
Of note, Crowe did not hire a poker consultant.
Arclight Films, Future Artists Entertainment, and Scarlett Pictures are the production companies involved. They shot the film in Sydney, NSW, Australia. Similar to The Card Counter, though, a positive Covid-19 case stopped filming just days from wrapping the shoot.
The film is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2022.
https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1432581208467255296?s=20
