This movie was written by the same writer who gave us such classics as "Taxi Driver", "American Gigolo", "Raging Bull", and others. So this movie has some of that sensibility.
Over the past several years I have become a big fan of Oscar Isaac, he is one of the best actors of his generation. Here he is William Tell. After spending 8 1/2 years in a military prison for war crimes he is now out and touring the gambling circuit. He had lots of time in prison developing card skills. He doesn't really want to be noticed, he likes to gamble, counting cards in Blackjack is one of his favorites, then take off once he has a few hundred in winnings.
He befriends a young man who lost his ex-military dad to suicide. It turns out William knew his dad, and knew the military leader who pushed them to their mistreatment of prisoners but was able to duck punishment. Only those whose faces were in the Abu Ghraib prison photos were punished.
Some of the middle of the movie gets a bit tedious with moving from place to place and gambling. But it all comes to a surprising head during the last approximate 30 minutes. Not everything is tied up neatly but overall it is a gripping character study.
Good movie, my wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.
Over the past several years I have become a big fan of Oscar Isaac, he is one of the best actors of his generation. Here he is William Tell. After spending 8 1/2 years in a military prison for war crimes he is now out and touring the gambling circuit. He had lots of time in prison developing card skills. He doesn't really want to be noticed, he likes to gamble, counting cards in Blackjack is one of his favorites, then take off once he has a few hundred in winnings.
He befriends a young man who lost his ex-military dad to suicide. It turns out William knew his dad, and knew the military leader who pushed them to their mistreatment of prisoners but was able to duck punishment. Only those whose faces were in the Abu Ghraib prison photos were punished.
Some of the middle of the movie gets a bit tedious with moving from place to place and gambling. But it all comes to a surprising head during the last approximate 30 minutes. Not everything is tied up neatly but overall it is a gripping character study.
Good movie, my wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.