It isn't difficult to see why The Card Player is one of the least generally regarded Argento works. Largely free of gore or fluid camera- work, a stylistically restrained affair that could almost pass for made for television. And yet it works by and large, it may not be a classic but it's a lot of fun, with a playful feel that rather charms. The intent on the surface was to merge two rather different traditions, the giallo and the modern day serial killer procedural film, but a casual glance at the two reveals their incompatibility. The giallo founded in twist and contrivance, exuberant sleight of hand the magic behind lurid pulp fun, the later serial killer film a matter of darkness and psychology, the horror of death and trudge towards truth, stone faces and realism. The Card Player stuffs the former in the latter and the fit is tight, but rather than strain for neatness and appearance Argento pushes for knowing absurdity. So there's some of the more open weirdness and humour of his work, lively and eccentric characters and a few visual gags. But as well as absurdity, in the set up can be seen a film-maker reacting to his legacy. In films past Argento gave beauty to violence in the impossibly wandering eye of his camera and we delighted in him for it, but here he recognises the audience and doesn't give them what they want, moreover it is a camera (and just just his but that within the film) that denies, a single stationary webcam that shows terror and death but no arterial business. The treatment is imperfect, elegant but insubstantial, touching on the matters of death, fate and audience (the defining image being the reflection of a gambler's face in computer screen that shows both terrified victim and the card game for her life) but unable or unwilling to give them much weight. The effort is appreciable though and the film in general is a charmer. Liam Cunningham comically inspired, tough and touching as a boozy agent transferred to Rome, Stefania Rocca hitting the right hard but tender notes in her stock heroine character (complete with predictable personal problems), Silvio Muccino an amusing card sharp and other players doing their work well. A few well crafted sequences of nervy tension too, as well as a couple of impressive lunacy. Certainly a number of places in need of more sting, and a killer and motivation rather disappointing, but overall a well worthy work of underrated fun. 7/10.
Review of The Card Player
