THE QUIET GAME //A FILM REVIEW OF "THE CARD COUNTER"

BY MATEO MORENO

William Tell (Oscar Isaac) is a card player. He plays poker, blackjack and moves from Casino to Casino, never winning too much to ruffle too many feathers. He doesn't call himself a gambler because he has control. He can always say "no." He can read his opponents and he has an unbelievable gift of counting cards, a talent he learned in prison. He moves alone, without any real friends or attachments. He stays in cheap motels, covering all of the furniture, everything, methodically in white cloths that he brings with him. William has a dark past, one that haunts him each and every day. He was a soldier who tortured prisoners at Abu Ghraib and one day, he finds himself at a casino where Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe), now a civilian contractor, is giving a seminar about security. He sits in the dark, watching the man who was in charge of the horrors he faced every day and before he leaves, a young man stops him and hands him his number. He recognizes William and wants to sit down and talk. The young man is Cirk (Tye Sheridan) and he tells William of a horrific plan he has. He wants William to be part of it. Instead, William takes Cirk under his wing, bringing him on the casino circuit and showing him his own world. Perhaps he can save himself if he saves the young man.

THE CARD COUNTER, written and directed by Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader, is an tense and thrilling film that switches from William's repeated patterns of living to the horrific flashback of his past. He wants to win enough to pay off the debts that loom over Cirk, so in order to do that he accepts the offer of La Linda (Tiffany Haddish), a business woman who connects anonymous backers to sharp poker players. The three of them become a dynamic trio of sorts, and Schrader expertly captures both the thrill and monotony of the gambling life. Isaacs is dynamic here, powerfully quiet with a simmering intensity. It's a powerful leading role, one that you both cheer for and fear. Tiffany Haddish and Tye Sheridan both have great chemistry with Issac and both turn in fine performances. The relationship with William and La Linda is sweet and tender, adding a charged layer into the film. Willem Dafoe is a menacing presence, even when he's not on screen. The connection of Gordo, William and Cirk simmers underneath every scene, and the menace of where it's headed fill each moment with a thrilling sense of dread. The film takes its time, never rushing the fine details and slowing stacking the dread surrounding everyone. It's a fascinating film, one that lingers long after the casino has closed.

GRADE: A

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Paul Schrader STARRING Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe, Alexander Babara. OPENING IN SELECT THEATRES SEPTEMBER 10th. FOR MORE INFO: THE CARD COUNTER

NYFF 2017 // A FILM REVIEW OF "THE FLORIDA PROJECT"

BY MATEO MORENO

Sean Baker didn't exactly change the game when two years ago he shot his film Tangerine completely on an iPhone, but he challenged the game, pushing for more creative ways of storytelling on smaller budgets. That film told a hilarious and spectacular tale about Transgender Prostitutes and pushed a truly original idea into the indie mainstream. Now with his follow up THE FLORIDA PROJECT he has crafted a lucious, stunning, and heartfelt ode to a broken down hotel and the beautiful and sometimes damaged residents within.

Willem Dafoe is Bobby, the all around "everything" at "The Magic Castle," a roadside hotel. He does everything from managing it to being the handyman and babysitter of the children who run around the place. The kids run around and cause little bits of chaos, but aren't bad kids. They just live in a world where running around a hotel parking lot, kicking around an abandened house, and being a bit of a pain is what kids do during the day. They're growing up in a very different world than most kids and at least have each other and Bobby. The kids are all first time actors and every beat seems like a truly authentic moment. They are living each moment of this film, truly, for the first time. Dafoe's performance is wonderous as well, also alive with spontaneity. Stealing every other moment is another first time actor - Bria Vinaite. She is the parent of one of the rambuncious children in the hotel, often struggling to pay the rent and keep things afloat for her and her little girl. She adores her daughter, even if she doesn't quite know how to be a good example. From her fiery dialogue with Dafoe to her shockingly violent outbursts, she earns your love and breaks your heart.

The Florida Project is all of those things and more. It's less of a narrative film (though there is a loose narritive structure to it) and more of moment after moment of life happening in a broken Disney World. It's a stunning second feature from Baker, and one that will sit with you long after the credits roll.

VERDICT: MUST SEE

SCREENPLAY BY Sean Baker and Bergoch DIRECTED BY Sean Baker STARRING Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, Bria Vinaite. PLAYING AS PART OF THE 2017 55TH ANNUAL NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: https://www.filmlinc.org/

TO BE OR NOT TO BE // A FILM REVIEW OF "A MOST WANTED MAN"

BY W DEREK JORDEN

Terrorist or not a terrorist? That’s the question of this movie. A young man ends up in Hamburg, Germany after what seems a terrible and quite literally torturous trip. Some sketchy faces show up around him and his equally sketchy behavior puts the authorities on high alert. The men behind the security cameras of Hamburg start to question the guy’s intentions and no simple answers are found. In comes Gunther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the man who leads a team of investigators toward the truth. He is exhausted by the dark side of Hamburg, which is pretty damn dark in this movie, and by the adversity he faces from the top and from the Americans, but trudges one cigarette and stakeout after another.

Two beautiful ladies complicate things for him. As Gunther attempts to discover the identity and purpose of this man, Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams), as a young law student with good intentions and fighting for the underdog, tries to keep it covered. And as Gunther hopes to unveil a major al Qaeda ring, Robin Wright works well in her role of Sullivan, an American diplomatic attaché that keeps him on his toes. In her we see much the same character as Claire Underwood, with more warmth and lightness, but the same amount of cutthroat. Another familiar face in this suspense flick is that of Willem Dafoe as Tommy Brue. Looking sharp in a tailored suit and a black Mercedes, Brue is the banker responsible for the large sums that could be legally bound to the terrorists. He wants to do the right thing, and it gets interesting.

The story is slow to develop which keeps the suspense at bay. A lot of time passes and not a lot of action. So slowly in fact that you’re left wondering how many packs of HB’s Phil smoked in the filming of this movie just between “Action!” and “Cut!” But it trudges on and you admit you actually like watching Phil smoke and a chance to see Rachel and Robin in action makes it even better. And after it’s all over you hope that Sullivan’s goal was achieved as it echoes in your ears: to make the world a safer place.

DEREK'S GRADE: B+

Written by Andrew Bovell and John le Carre Directed by Anton Corbijn Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Daniel Bruhl, Grigoriy Dobrygin

RATED R

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is strangely similar to what we saw on Homeland 5 years ago with a scarred and tortured potential terrorist who may be falling for a pretty blonde gal that’s on his case. The pretty blond gal is not the star though, and as the simple plot becomes an intellectual maze, what could have been a gripping movie is, well, still gripping because Philip Seymour Hoffman makes it so.

W. DEREK JORDEN is an actor currently living and working in New York City. He and his wife live on a Spaceship on the top of a building, which makes for some interesting dinner parties.