Beta Cinema has arrived in Cannes with a slew of sales on its resistance epic William Tell.
Currently in post-production, screenwriter Nick Hamm’s adaptation for the big screen of Friedrich Schiller’s play stars Danish actor Claes Bang (The Square), Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson), Connor Swindells (Barbie, Sex Education), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, The Tattooist of Auschwitz) and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List, Iron Man).
The story takes place in the 14th century, “amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land, encroach upon Switzerland, a serene and pastoral nation.” William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under threat from the oppressive Austrian king and his ruthless warlords.
The film’s ensemble cast also includes Ellie Bamber (Moss & Freud, Nocturnal Animals), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi,...
Currently in post-production, screenwriter Nick Hamm’s adaptation for the big screen of Friedrich Schiller’s play stars Danish actor Claes Bang (The Square), Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson), Connor Swindells (Barbie, Sex Education), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, The Tattooist of Auschwitz) and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List, Iron Man).
The story takes place in the 14th century, “amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land, encroach upon Switzerland, a serene and pastoral nation.” William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under threat from the oppressive Austrian king and his ruthless warlords.
The film’s ensemble cast also includes Ellie Bamber (Moss & Freud, Nocturnal Animals), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Like any effectual will-they/won't-they foxtrot (not least of all the '80s action rom-com that convinced David Boreanaz to join the series), "Bones" was always looking for fun and frisky ways of bringing socially aloof forensics expert Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and intuitive FBI agent Seeley Booth's (Boreanaz) underlying sexual tension to a boil. Even so, few of their adventures saw Bones and Booth engage in quite as much figurative edging as they did in "Double Trouble in the Panhandle."
This particular season 4 outing sent the then-platonic power couple undercover at a traveling circus as part of their investigation into the dubious death of a pair of conjoined female twins who previously worked there. Mercifully, this didn't lead to them trying to pull off a problematic cowboy and Native American princess act. Instead, it began with the two posing as the Canadian performers Wanda and Buck Moosejaw (which...
This particular season 4 outing sent the then-platonic power couple undercover at a traveling circus as part of their investigation into the dubious death of a pair of conjoined female twins who previously worked there. Mercifully, this didn't lead to them trying to pull off a problematic cowboy and Native American princess act. Instead, it began with the two posing as the Canadian performers Wanda and Buck Moosejaw (which...
- 3/2/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
We have some “Good News”: Something Corporate have announced their first tour in over 20 years.
The announcement arrives after the SoCal pop-punk band reunited for a handful of shows last year, hitting the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas and a pair of New Year’s gigs in Anaheim, California. The 2024 tour, which kicks off in New York City on June 21, features the original lineup: frontman Andrew McMahon, lead guitarist Josh Partington, bassist Kevin Page, drummer Brian Ireland, and guitarist William Tell. Check the dates out below...
The announcement arrives after the SoCal pop-punk band reunited for a handful of shows last year, hitting the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas and a pair of New Year’s gigs in Anaheim, California. The 2024 tour, which kicks off in New York City on June 21, features the original lineup: frontman Andrew McMahon, lead guitarist Josh Partington, bassist Kevin Page, drummer Brian Ireland, and guitarist William Tell. Check the dates out below...
- 2/26/2024
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
‘Paddington’s’ Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire have joined Keira Knightley on the cast for Netflix’s ‘Black Doves.’
The six-part series, which began filming in central London last week, will also star Andrew Buchan (Carnival Row), Andrew Koji (Warrior), Kathryn Hunter (Andor), Sam Troughton (Chernobyl, Mank), Ella Lily Hyland (Fifteen Love, Silent Roar), Adam Silver (The Diplomat, Masters of The Air, Eric), Ken Nwosu (Look the Other Way and Run) and Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin).
Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, the series is said to be a sharp, action-filled and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice.
It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic...
The six-part series, which began filming in central London last week, will also star Andrew Buchan (Carnival Row), Andrew Koji (Warrior), Kathryn Hunter (Andor), Sam Troughton (Chernobyl, Mank), Ella Lily Hyland (Fifteen Love, Silent Roar), Adam Silver (The Diplomat, Masters of The Air, Eric), Ken Nwosu (Look the Other Way and Run) and Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin).
Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, the series is said to be a sharp, action-filled and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice.
It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic...
- 10/26/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
First-look images have been unveiled for Beta Cinema, Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions take on ‘William Tell,’ focusing on the the epic story of the legendary crossbow-wielding warrior.
Amidst this backdrop, William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under dire threat from the oppressive Austrian King and his ruthless warlords. Leading his fellow countrymen, Tell embarks on a courageous rebellion to defend their liberty and stand against the oppressive forces that seek to subjugate them.
Also in news – Martin Scorsese on working with the Osage Community, Robert Di Niro & Leonardo DiCaprio on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Written by Nick Hamm, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s world-renowned classical play. The narrative unfolds in the 14th Century amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land,...
Amidst this backdrop, William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under dire threat from the oppressive Austrian King and his ruthless warlords. Leading his fellow countrymen, Tell embarks on a courageous rebellion to defend their liberty and stand against the oppressive forces that seek to subjugate them.
Also in news – Martin Scorsese on working with the Osage Community, Robert Di Niro & Leonardo DiCaprio on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Written by Nick Hamm, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s world-renowned classical play. The narrative unfolds in the 14th Century amidst the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire where Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians, desiring more land,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The first look images of “William Tell,” the epic story of the crossbow-wielding warrior, have been released. The feature film is in its last week of principal photography in Italy. Beta Cinema is representing international sales rights with WME Independent handling North American rights.
Nick Hamm directs, based on his screenplay, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s play. Hamm’s credits include “Driven,” which was selected as the closing film at the Venice Film Festival 2018 and released by Universal; “Gigi & Nate” (2022); the Netflix series “White Lines” (2020); and “The Journey,” which premiered at Venice and Toronto in 2016.
The film stars Claes Bang, Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Academy-Award nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
The story unfolds in the 14th century amid the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire, when Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians,...
Nick Hamm directs, based on his screenplay, adapted from Friedrich Schiller’s play. Hamm’s credits include “Driven,” which was selected as the closing film at the Venice Film Festival 2018 and released by Universal; “Gigi & Nate” (2022); the Netflix series “White Lines” (2020); and “The Journey,” which premiered at Venice and Toronto in 2016.
The film stars Claes Bang, Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Academy-Award nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
The story unfolds in the 14th century amid the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire, when Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy and the ambitious Austrians,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Claes Bang has signed on to star in Nick Hamm’s period action film William Tell, playing the legendary Swiss marksman.
The Danish actor, star of Ruben Östlund’s 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Square, Sharon Horgan’s Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters and the baddie in Robert Eggers’ The Northman, will be joined by an ensemble cast, including Connor Swindells (Barbie), Ellie Bamber (Willow), Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Rafe Spall (The Big Short), Emily Beecham (Little Joe), Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones, The Two Popes) and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Sexy Beast).
Hamm adapted William Tell from Friedrich Schiller’s famous play, set in the 14th Century, which follows a peaceful hunter who picks up his crossbow to fight tyranny, in the form of a corrupt Austrian King. In the play’s most famous scene, Tell is forced by authorities to shoot an...
The Danish actor, star of Ruben Östlund’s 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Square, Sharon Horgan’s Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters and the baddie in Robert Eggers’ The Northman, will be joined by an ensemble cast, including Connor Swindells (Barbie), Ellie Bamber (Willow), Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Rafe Spall (The Big Short), Emily Beecham (Little Joe), Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones, The Two Popes) and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Sexy Beast).
Hamm adapted William Tell from Friedrich Schiller’s famous play, set in the 14th Century, which follows a peaceful hunter who picks up his crossbow to fight tyranny, in the form of a corrupt Austrian King. In the play’s most famous scene, Tell is forced by authorities to shoot an...
- 10/24/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Beta Cinema and the UK’s Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions have officially announced Nick Hamm’s epic drama William Tell, as its under-the-radar shoot enters its final week in Italy.
The partners have unveiled a first-look image of Claes Bang in the role of the legendary crossbow-wielding warrior (scroll down to check it out).
Bang is joined in the cast by Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.
“As a filmmaker I couldn’t ask for a more exceptional cast to bring this story to life,” said Hamm.
Beta Cinema, which represents worldwide sales rights while WME Independent handles domestic rights, will debut a first sales teaser to buyers at the AFM next week.
Claes Bang as William Tell
Hamm wrote the screenplay, adapting German writer Friedrich Schiller’s 1804 classic play of the same name.
The...
The partners have unveiled a first-look image of Claes Bang in the role of the legendary crossbow-wielding warrior (scroll down to check it out).
Bang is joined in the cast by Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.
“As a filmmaker I couldn’t ask for a more exceptional cast to bring this story to life,” said Hamm.
Beta Cinema, which represents worldwide sales rights while WME Independent handles domestic rights, will debut a first sales teaser to buyers at the AFM next week.
Claes Bang as William Tell
Hamm wrote the screenplay, adapting German writer Friedrich Schiller’s 1804 classic play of the same name.
The...
- 10/24/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Cast also includes Ellie Bamber, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the crossbow warrior who shot an arrow through an apple on his son’s head and launched the struggle for Swiss independence.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and...
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the crossbow warrior who shot an arrow through an apple on his son’s head and launched the struggle for Swiss independence.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and...
- 10/24/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Cast also includes Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the Swiss crossbow warrior.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions have also released a first look of...
Beta Cinema has boarded international sales on Nick Hamm’s English-language feature William Tell, based on the classic story of the Swiss crossbow warrior.
Written and directed by Hamm, William Tell stars Claes Bang as Tell alongside Connor Swindells, Ellie Bamber, Golshifteh Farahani, Jonah Hauer-King, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham as well as Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
Beta Cinema and production companies Free Turn Films and Tempo Productions have also released a first look of...
- 10/24/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
“Moonlighting” lovers are a dedicated crew — it was the kind of wildly imaginative, smart, sophisticated series that inspired passionate loyalty over the course of its 66 episodes (the two-part pilot is shown as a single episode) and five seasons on the air. What’s even more remarkable about fans’ dedication is the relative rarity of the series; the Glenn Gordon Caron-created genre hybrid has rarely been in regular syndication and its DVD releases have been out of print since 2013.
Not that the DVD releases really satisfied the die-hard fans. Sure, they got to relive just what all the fuss was about when the show took the country by storm back in 1985, as former model Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) and wise guy detective David Addison (a pre-“Die Hard” Bruce Willis) investigated crimes, bickered, broke the fourth wall, and generally served as television trailblazers up to and including the “Moonlighting” curse...
Not that the DVD releases really satisfied the die-hard fans. Sure, they got to relive just what all the fuss was about when the show took the country by storm back in 1985, as former model Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) and wise guy detective David Addison (a pre-“Die Hard” Bruce Willis) investigated crimes, bickered, broke the fourth wall, and generally served as television trailblazers up to and including the “Moonlighting” curse...
- 10/10/2023
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
To celebrate David Cronenberg's 80th birthday, check out his underrated adaptation of the controversial novel "Naked Lunch."
David Cronenberg, the undisputed king of cinematic body horror, turns 80 this month, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, with the release of "Crimes of the Future," he heartily reminded audiences that there's no filmmaker greater than he when it comes to piercing dissections (often literally) of the human form's grotesqueries and its relationship with the wider world. He's so distinctive, so unflinching in his portrayal of that which horrifies us most, that we use the adjective Cronenbergian to describe works inspired by him. Every fan of Cronenberg has their favorite moments from his vast filmography, whether it's the exploding head in "Scanners," Jeff Goldblum's disintegration in "The Fly," or the abnormal births in "The Brood." One of his lesser-discussed films, and perhaps his most curious effort as a director,...
David Cronenberg, the undisputed king of cinematic body horror, turns 80 this month, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, with the release of "Crimes of the Future," he heartily reminded audiences that there's no filmmaker greater than he when it comes to piercing dissections (often literally) of the human form's grotesqueries and its relationship with the wider world. He's so distinctive, so unflinching in his portrayal of that which horrifies us most, that we use the adjective Cronenbergian to describe works inspired by him. Every fan of Cronenberg has their favorite moments from his vast filmography, whether it's the exploding head in "Scanners," Jeff Goldblum's disintegration in "The Fly," or the abnormal births in "The Brood." One of his lesser-discussed films, and perhaps his most curious effort as a director,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Kayleigh Donaldson
- Slash Film
Gioachino Rossini is widely regarded as one of the greatest opera composers of all time. He created some of the most beloved masterpieces, such as “The Barber of Seville” and “The Italian Girl in Algiers.” While the plays may have achieved fame, Rossini himself is often overlooked.
We’d like to give a closer look into his life and music. Come explore Rossini’s works and learn about his background, style, and influence on classical music. We will take you on a journey through his life, from his humble beginnings in Pesaro to his rise to fame as a renowned composer.
You’ll discover why this composer was so prolific—he wrote 39 operas from 1806-1829—and why his work continues to be celebrated more than two centuries after its composition. Hold onto your seats folks; it’s time for a musical journey!
Biography of Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer,...
We’d like to give a closer look into his life and music. Come explore Rossini’s works and learn about his background, style, and influence on classical music. We will take you on a journey through his life, from his humble beginnings in Pesaro to his rise to fame as a renowned composer.
You’ll discover why this composer was so prolific—he wrote 39 operas from 1806-1829—and why his work continues to be celebrated more than two centuries after its composition. Hold onto your seats folks; it’s time for a musical journey!
Biography of Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
With The Card Counter, Paul Schrader has written another “man in[to] a room”: William Tell (Oscar Isaac), an ex-torturer turned professional poker player, lives hotel to hotel, making each unit his own by wrapping their furniture in his own sterile, white sheets—“essentially bleached muslin,” the film’s Dp Alexander Dynan says. A little light went a long way when capturing these whitened rooms on the light-sensitive, medium format Alexa Lf camera. Sometimes Dynan lit Isaac journaling with nothing but a bulb wrapped in diffusion—something he could not justify using on First Reformed, as pastor Toller (Ethan Hawke) did not diary near a fabric-covered lamp. […]
The post “If Bresson Had Digital Cinematography, What Might He Do?”: Dp Alexander Dynan on the Portraits, Inserts and VR Nightmares of The Card Counter first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “If Bresson Had Digital Cinematography, What Might He Do?”: Dp Alexander Dynan on the Portraits, Inserts and VR Nightmares of The Card Counter first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/10/2021
- by Aaron Hunt
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Paul Schrader's latest movie, "The Card Counter," focuses on William Tell (Oscar Isaac), a man who has done unforgivable things and has found comfort in, and gotten very good at, playing poker. The film is a character piece, an exploration of how some monsters are made — in Tell's case he became one when he was in the military at Abu Ghraib — and how one man creates a life rife with rituals and routine to cope with what he's done.
Playing poker is a key part of Tell's routine, the act of card counting a way to bring structure to his life. The game is...
The post How a Professional Gambling Consultant Helped Up the Ante on The Card Counter appeared first on /Film.
Playing poker is a key part of Tell's routine, the act of card counting a way to bring structure to his life. The game is...
The post How a Professional Gambling Consultant Helped Up the Ante on The Card Counter appeared first on /Film.
- 9/10/2021
- by Vanessa Armstrong
- Slash Film
Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter moves from Venice into 579 theaters this weekend — the first in a welcome stream of specialty films from the Lido, Telluride and Toronto that could, perhaps maybe, buck up the struggling arthouse market this fall. The film is 90% certified fresh and hails from Focus Features, which presented one of the rare specialty hits of recent months, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.
That film came out in mid-July before the Delta Variant reached full sweep. It was released on nearly double the number of screens.
The Card Counter stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish and Tye Sheridan. William Tell (Isaac) a military interrogator haunted by his past just wants to play cards. But his spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he’s approached by Cirk (Sheridan), a vulnerable, angry young man seeking help to get revenge on a military colonel (Willem Dafoe). Tell...
That film came out in mid-July before the Delta Variant reached full sweep. It was released on nearly double the number of screens.
The Card Counter stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish and Tye Sheridan. William Tell (Isaac) a military interrogator haunted by his past just wants to play cards. But his spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he’s approached by Cirk (Sheridan), a vulnerable, angry young man seeking help to get revenge on a military colonel (Willem Dafoe). Tell...
- 9/10/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hi-Pointe Theater, at 1005 McCausland Ave in St. Louis, is the best place to see movies. Oscar Isaac in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter opens this Friday September 10th at The Hi-Pointe. The Hi-Pointe’s site can be found Here
The Card Counter, written and directed by Schrader, follows William Tell (Isaac), a gambler and former serviceman who sets out to reform a young man seeking revenge on a mutual enemy from their past. Tell just wants to play cards. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk, a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk. Gaining backing from mysterious gambling financier La Linda, Tell takes Cirk with him on the road, going from casino to casino until the unlikely trio...
The Card Counter, written and directed by Schrader, follows William Tell (Isaac), a gambler and former serviceman who sets out to reform a young man seeking revenge on a mutual enemy from their past. Tell just wants to play cards. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk, a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk. Gaining backing from mysterious gambling financier La Linda, Tell takes Cirk with him on the road, going from casino to casino until the unlikely trio...
- 9/6/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Over the course of Paul Schrader’s career, he has gifted cinema audiences with absolute gems either as a screenwriter (most notably in his collaborations with Martin Scorsese) or a director. He has also fallen short on more than one occasion, The Canyons being the most recent example. So where does The Card Counter stand on Schrader’s list of hits and misses? Well, somewhere in between both camps.
One of the reasons this thriller is a hit lies in its leading man. Oscar Isaac, who stars in three offerings here at the Venice Film Festival, is in every scene, the camera often zooming in on his face, picking up every flicker, every twitch and every change of mood. Isaac plays ex-soldier turned card counter and poker pro William Tell. He has done time in military prison, where he learnt to count cards, and is now touring the casinos of the US east coast,...
One of the reasons this thriller is a hit lies in its leading man. Oscar Isaac, who stars in three offerings here at the Venice Film Festival, is in every scene, the camera often zooming in on his face, picking up every flicker, every twitch and every change of mood. Isaac plays ex-soldier turned card counter and poker pro William Tell. He has done time in military prison, where he learnt to count cards, and is now touring the casinos of the US east coast,...
- 9/6/2021
- by Jo-Ann Titmarsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Whatever new could be said about Paul Schrader as an artist—curving around the extra-textual value in Kickstarter campaigns, Facebook posts, and tragic losses of final cut—is almost entirely on the back of First Reformed. A cultural smash first propelled by surprise of the he’s-still-got-it! variety that, as those things always do, faded, now denotes career reset—a generational shift for telling us his anxiety-ridden men of ‘70s and ‘80s landmarks stuck around to become the doom-scrolling generation whose problems are more global than personal. (Though obviously that too.) The catch of this conquest is a greedy fan (hello) alternately thrilled at the existence of another film and worried a final statement for the ages is rendered naught. A broken promise? Please; he owes us nothing. But Ernst Toller’s martyrdom is hard to sacrifice as a last note.
My fear of folly dissipated before The Card Counter‘s first shot.
My fear of folly dissipated before The Card Counter‘s first shot.
- 9/2/2021
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
“You get a job, you become the job.” That’s what a veteran cabbie named Wizard tells born-again hack Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” which Paul Schrader wrote just before he turned 30. “I envy you, your youth,” he goes on to say. “Go on, get laid. Get drunk. Do anything. You got no choice, anyway. I mean, we’re all fucked. More or less.” As Travis learns the hard way a few reels later, Schrader typically falls on the side of “more,” but not without any margin of error.
Many of the films that Schrader went on to direct himself — especially the ones whose very titles enshrine a certain vocation — have revisited the “God’s lonely man” archetype he received like communion from Robert Bresson, each of these implosive portraits cloaking their lead character’s private anguish underneath whatever profession they’ve chosen to wear like a costume.
Many of the films that Schrader went on to direct himself — especially the ones whose very titles enshrine a certain vocation — have revisited the “God’s lonely man” archetype he received like communion from Robert Bresson, each of these implosive portraits cloaking their lead character’s private anguish underneath whatever profession they’ve chosen to wear like a costume.
- 9/2/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Oscar Isaac is a blank-eyed poker player with a past in Schrader’s latest gathering of lost, tormented souls
Paul Schrader makes films about lost souls in torment and unachievable goals, the sort of bleak existential purgatories that speak to our own uglier moments. Ahead of the Venice press screening of his latest production, an impromptu security cordon makes more than 100 guests late, after which they are only allowed into the cinema in small dribs and drabs - a tense, shuffling progress that extends throughout the film’s opening half-hour. The critics are in uproar; the ushers get lairy. Wherever he is, I imagine that Schrader himself would approve of the show.
On screen, The Card Counter provides another stylish, slow-burning account of Schrader’s lonesome samurai, a figure who can crop up in all walks of life: as a taxi driver, an escort, a drug dealer, a priest. On...
Paul Schrader makes films about lost souls in torment and unachievable goals, the sort of bleak existential purgatories that speak to our own uglier moments. Ahead of the Venice press screening of his latest production, an impromptu security cordon makes more than 100 guests late, after which they are only allowed into the cinema in small dribs and drabs - a tense, shuffling progress that extends throughout the film’s opening half-hour. The critics are in uproar; the ushers get lairy. Wherever he is, I imagine that Schrader himself would approve of the show.
On screen, The Card Counter provides another stylish, slow-burning account of Schrader’s lonesome samurai, a figure who can crop up in all walks of life: as a taxi driver, an escort, a drug dealer, a priest. On...
- 9/2/2021
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
I’m a sucker for card-sharp movies, and I’m not alone. The allure of films like “The Cincinnati Kid” or “California Split” or “Rounders” is that the poker games have the quality of athletic showdowns: the kind of hand-to-hand, eyeball-to-eyeball aggression we associate with a contest taking place in a gladiatorial arena. But in a card movie, it’s all done sitting in chairs, with mental acuity (and fate!) as the only weapon. Great poker scenes, in their slyly civilized cards-close-to-the-vest way, formalize the desire to destroy your opponent, but they’re also layered with a drive to psych him out that most combat scenes don’t have. To me, the single greatest movie card sequence is the Texas hold ’em tournament at the center of “Casino Royale.” It’s a little movie unto itself, and the currents of strategy and malevolence and sheer nimble play that pass between...
- 9/2/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
“I don’t really feel like it’s going anywhere,” a character in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter laments at one point, and for a good long time one is inclined to feel this way about the film itself. Like the titular low-end professional gambler, Schrader here plays the long game, winning as often as not by studying patterns, conservatively abiding by carefully calculated odds and not acting on impulse. But just when you’ve about given up on the film and its mostly forlorn characters, the writer-director shows his winning hand, the clouds part, the sun shines bright and redemption — creative and moral — is to be had.
In different ways, Schrader has frequently explored seriously flawed characters working through a living hell to find a certain enlightenment, or at least partial liberation from their wayward behavior. On the surface, at least, this is a calmer, less turbulent film...
In different ways, Schrader has frequently explored seriously flawed characters working through a living hell to find a certain enlightenment, or at least partial liberation from their wayward behavior. On the surface, at least, this is a calmer, less turbulent film...
- 9/2/2021
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Green covers the screen as the opening credits for Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter” surface. The color and texture come from the felt distinctive to casino tables. But this isn’t a study on greed for cash, in spite of what the palaces of gambling where it mostly occurs might suggest. What’s bet on with every played hand is absolution, the potential cleansing of a specter’s soul.
Men with moral vendettas are the veteran writer-director’s objects of fascination. Saints are too facile to be subjects to inspire his sordid plots, but those with dubious pasts and a righteous, self-imposed mandate for vindication are dramatic aces. His vehicle for this latest oft-gripping but ultimately mild work is William Tell (Oscar Isaac), a former military interrogator jailed for carrying out the dehumanizing torture practices his superiors ordered. Not much else emerges about him as far as the specifics of his personal life.
Men with moral vendettas are the veteran writer-director’s objects of fascination. Saints are too facile to be subjects to inspire his sordid plots, but those with dubious pasts and a righteous, self-imposed mandate for vindication are dramatic aces. His vehicle for this latest oft-gripping but ultimately mild work is William Tell (Oscar Isaac), a former military interrogator jailed for carrying out the dehumanizing torture practices his superiors ordered. Not much else emerges about him as far as the specifics of his personal life.
- 9/2/2021
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
Paul Schrader has spent much of his career peering into the dark abyss of troubled men’s souls. He creates another subject eminently worthy of such examination in the title figure of The Card Counter, who goes by the assumed name of William Tell and is played by Oscar Isaac in an intense performance with the dangerous magnetism of Al Pacino in his early Michael Corleone days. A companion piece of sorts to First Reformed, this is another bruising character study of a solitary, burdened man who processes his most intimate thoughts in a journal, living with his guilt until he’s handed an unexpected opportunity ...
Paul Schrader has spent much of his career peering into the dark abyss of troubled men’s souls. He creates another subject eminently worthy of such examination in the title figure of The Card Counter, who goes by the assumed name of William Tell and is played by Oscar Isaac in an intense performance with the dangerous magnetism of Al Pacino in his early Michael Corleone days. A companion piece of sorts to First Reformed, this is another bruising character study of a solitary, burdened man who processes his most intimate thoughts in a journal, living with his guilt until he’s handed an unexpected opportunity ...
Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and director Paul Schrader discussed the story behind Venice Film Festival revenge-thriller The Card Counter this morning at a press conference on the Lido.
Isaac plays William Tell, a military interrogator-turned-card player haunted by his past. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel (Willem Dafoe) from both of their pasts. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk and takes him on the road, but keeping Cirk on the straight-and-narrow proves impossible, and Tell is dragged back into the darkness of his past. Haddish plays a mysterious backer looking to add Tell to her stable of card sharks.
Schrader said: “The problem I was concerned with in the film is the lack of responsibility in contemporary society.
Isaac plays William Tell, a military interrogator-turned-card player haunted by his past. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel (Willem Dafoe) from both of their pasts. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk and takes him on the road, but keeping Cirk on the straight-and-narrow proves impossible, and Tell is dragged back into the darkness of his past. Haddish plays a mysterious backer looking to add Tell to her stable of card sharks.
Schrader said: “The problem I was concerned with in the film is the lack of responsibility in contemporary society.
- 9/2/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Schrader says his movie “The Card Counter,” in which Oscar Isaac plays a former Abu Ghraib interrogator who did jail time for his actions, is “not about redoing history” but rather focusing on one soldier’s memory — a cinematic theme he predicts will recur as U.S. soldiers return from Afghanistan.
The Focus Features movie doesn’t pull any punches in depicting difficult scenes of torture and violence against inmates, but the set used is a reimagining that is based on what Isaac’s character, William Tell, remembers of his experience there, rather than the actual building.
“By using this set, we were able to get into a distorted memory of what remains,” said Schrader, speaking at a Thursday press conference at the Venice Film Festival. “I’m sure for these U.S. soldiers who were at the airport in the last 10 days, they are going to have some...
The Focus Features movie doesn’t pull any punches in depicting difficult scenes of torture and violence against inmates, but the set used is a reimagining that is based on what Isaac’s character, William Tell, remembers of his experience there, rather than the actual building.
“By using this set, we were able to get into a distorted memory of what remains,” said Schrader, speaking at a Thursday press conference at the Venice Film Festival. “I’m sure for these U.S. soldiers who were at the airport in the last 10 days, they are going to have some...
- 9/2/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar Isaac is ready to count some cards, baby! Isaac stars in Paul Schrader's new movie "The Card Counter," and ahead of the film's upcoming release some new character posters and clips have found their way online. In the neo-noir drama, Isaac is an ex-military interrogator turned professional gambler who takes a troubled young man (Tye Sheridan) under his wing. But like most characters in Paul Schrader's movies, his personal demons get in the way.
In "The Card Counter," Oscar Isaac is William Tell. He was once a brutal military interrogator, and now he spends his life drifting from casino to...
The post The Card Counter Clips and Character Posters: Paul Schrader's Neo-Noir Goes All-In With Oscar Isaac appeared first on /Film.
In "The Card Counter," Oscar Isaac is William Tell. He was once a brutal military interrogator, and now he spends his life drifting from casino to...
The post The Card Counter Clips and Character Posters: Paul Schrader's Neo-Noir Goes All-In With Oscar Isaac appeared first on /Film.
- 9/1/2021
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Paul Schrader is set to return to Venice Film Festival tomorrow with The Card Counter, four years after his Ethan Hawke-starring First Reformed debuted at the Italian festival to acclaim.
The director’s new movie stars Oscar Isaac as a wandering poker player, William Tell, who has a dark past working in military ‘black sites’. When he meets Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a young man who is similarly lost, he decides to play on behalf of a gambling syndicate run by La Linda (Tiffany Haddish) in a bid to win enough money to help his new companion. Willem Dafoe also makes an appearance as a retired military general.
A little more than 12 months ago, Deadline sat down with Schrader and his leading man to talk about the film, which at the time was battling Covid delays. During that chat, the director told us he was playing in a twice-weekly poker...
The director’s new movie stars Oscar Isaac as a wandering poker player, William Tell, who has a dark past working in military ‘black sites’. When he meets Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a young man who is similarly lost, he decides to play on behalf of a gambling syndicate run by La Linda (Tiffany Haddish) in a bid to win enough money to help his new companion. Willem Dafoe also makes an appearance as a retired military general.
A little more than 12 months ago, Deadline sat down with Schrader and his leading man to talk about the film, which at the time was battling Covid delays. During that chat, the director told us he was playing in a twice-weekly poker...
- 9/1/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
"The Card Counter," the latest movie from director Paul Schrader, is heading to theaters soon. The drama follows Oscar Isaac as a former military man named William Tell who served time because of his involvement in Abu Ghraib. Once out of prison, Tell turned to gambling and, as the story unfolds, he forms a bond with Tiffany Haddish's character, La Linda, a gambling agent and pimp.
Schrader sat down for an interview in the days leading up to the release of the film and shared how he directed Isaac and Haddish. Read on to find out more about his directing style...
The post The Card Counter Director Paul Schrader Explains How He Directed Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish appeared first on /Film.
Schrader sat down for an interview in the days leading up to the release of the film and shared how he directed Isaac and Haddish. Read on to find out more about his directing style...
The post The Card Counter Director Paul Schrader Explains How He Directed Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish appeared first on /Film.
- 8/26/2021
- by Vanessa Armstrong
- Slash Film
‘The Card Counter’: Paul Schrader on the Ways Scorsese and ‘Taxi Driver’ Informed New Gambling Drama
Some filmmakers write a hit movie and spend the ensuing years trying to escape its shadow. Paul Schrader never flinched. Forty-five years after his “Taxi Driver” script put him on the map, the writer-director has developed a body of work loaded with alienated anti-heroes compelled to violent and reckless extremes for the sake of a higher calling.
That includes “The Card Counter,” in which Oscar Isaac plays guilt-stricken Abu Ghraib vet William Tell, a man with a gambling addiction compelled to help the revenge-seeking son (Tye Sheridan) of a former colleague. Taking justice into his own hands, Isaac’s William Tell slithers through the Vegas strip in search of questionable salvation, not unlike a certain Vietnam vet named Travis Bickle did from the driver’s seat. As if to cement the comparisons, “The Card Counter” features Martin Scorsese as an executive producer, marking the first time the two men share...
That includes “The Card Counter,” in which Oscar Isaac plays guilt-stricken Abu Ghraib vet William Tell, a man with a gambling addiction compelled to help the revenge-seeking son (Tye Sheridan) of a former colleague. Taking justice into his own hands, Isaac’s William Tell slithers through the Vegas strip in search of questionable salvation, not unlike a certain Vietnam vet named Travis Bickle did from the driver’s seat. As if to cement the comparisons, “The Card Counter” features Martin Scorsese as an executive producer, marking the first time the two men share...
- 8/26/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Focus Features has debuted a new trailer for Paul Schrader’s ‘The Card Counter’ featuring Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish.
The movie is a revenge thriller that tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past decisions.
Isaac plays William Tell, a haunted ex-military interrogator whose spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk, a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel.
Along with a mysterious financier, the trio set their sights on winning the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. However, things get difficult when Tell realizes that trying to keep Cirk on the right path proves to be an impossible task as he gets dragged back into the darkness of his past.
Written and directed by Schrader, the film also stars Tye Sheridan and William Dafoe.
The movie is a revenge thriller that tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past decisions.
Isaac plays William Tell, a haunted ex-military interrogator whose spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk, a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel.
Along with a mysterious financier, the trio set their sights on winning the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. However, things get difficult when Tell realizes that trying to keep Cirk on the right path proves to be an impossible task as he gets dragged back into the darkness of his past.
Written and directed by Schrader, the film also stars Tye Sheridan and William Dafoe.
- 7/28/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"Poker's all about waiting... then something happens." Focus Features has unveiled the first official trailer for Paul Schrader's new film The Card Counter, a gambler drama arriving in theaters this fall. It was just announced for the 2021 Venice Film Festival, premiering in the fest's main competition this September. A compulsive card player attempts to give guidance to a young man who is out for revenge against a mutual enemy - a military colonel. They end up going from casino to casino to build up their earnings, but risk getting lost in all of the cards and money. Oscar Isaac stars as William Tell, joined by Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe, Ekaterina Baker, Billy Slaughter, and Joel Michaely. So this isn't exactly the best trailer, a lot of strange things going on, including that flashback footage in B&w. But I'm intrigued nonetheless, and hopefully Schrader has crafted another...
- 7/27/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Oscar Isaac is seeking redemption — and revenge — in the first trailer for “The Card Counter,” a tense thriller written and directed by Paul Schrader.
The movie, co-starring Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe, centers on an ex-military-interrogator-turned-gambler named William Tell, who is haunted by the decisions of his past. After a vulnerable young man (Sheridan) reaches out to seek retribution on a common enemy (a mustachioed Dafoe), Tell attempts to give guidance in the hopes that it will provide an opportunity at restitution.
“It doesn’t matter to me if you did something bad in your past,” Haddish’s character says to Isaac’s in the two-minute-long clip. But a brooding William Tell disagrees. “Nothing, nothing can justify what we did,” he asserts.
Isaac’s Tell is vague about his past actions, but he does share that he learned to count cards in his 10 years in prison. That presumably...
The movie, co-starring Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe, centers on an ex-military-interrogator-turned-gambler named William Tell, who is haunted by the decisions of his past. After a vulnerable young man (Sheridan) reaches out to seek retribution on a common enemy (a mustachioed Dafoe), Tell attempts to give guidance in the hopes that it will provide an opportunity at restitution.
“It doesn’t matter to me if you did something bad in your past,” Haddish’s character says to Isaac’s in the two-minute-long clip. But a brooding William Tell disagrees. “Nothing, nothing can justify what we did,” he asserts.
Isaac’s Tell is vague about his past actions, but he does share that he learned to count cards in his 10 years in prison. That presumably...
- 7/27/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar Isaac stars as William Tell in The Card Counter, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features
Redemption is the long game in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter. Told with Schrader’s trademark cinematic intensity, the revenge thriller tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past decisions, and features riveting performances from stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe.
Watch the trailer now.
The film will have its world premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Focus Features will release The Card Counter in theaters on September 10, 2021.
https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-card-counter
03058_FP_CARDCOUNTER Oscar Isaac stars as William Tell in The Card Counter, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features 00781_FP_CARDCOUNTER Oscar Isaac stars as William Tell and Tiffany Haddish as La Linda in The Card Counter, a Focus Features release.
Redemption is the long game in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter. Told with Schrader’s trademark cinematic intensity, the revenge thriller tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past decisions, and features riveting performances from stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe.
Watch the trailer now.
The film will have its world premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Focus Features will release The Card Counter in theaters on September 10, 2021.
https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-card-counter
03058_FP_CARDCOUNTER Oscar Isaac stars as William Tell in The Card Counter, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features 00781_FP_CARDCOUNTER Oscar Isaac stars as William Tell and Tiffany Haddish as La Linda in The Card Counter, a Focus Features release.
- 7/27/2021
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
What a pleasant change of pace, with minimal drama for once.
It was a night out of fun for all of the gang on All American Season 3 Episode 15.
Actually, most enjoyable were the alcohol-soaked adults.
Best of all was the odd pairing of Billy and D'Angelo Carter, who had been nemeses all season up until now.
The principal even had a good reason to barge into Billy's office in the late evening: a parent complaining about Billy cutting her short, slow son. Billy had a great retort that "They all can't be Rudy."
Then Billy's bottle, hidden in his desk drawer against all regulations, helped their inhibitions to dissolve, and they were off on a wacky trip down Memory Lane during an ongoing battle of oneupmanship.
And along the way, they discovered they had more in common than they realized.
First was BIlly's simplistic solution of having D'Angelo punch him so they'd be even.
It was a night out of fun for all of the gang on All American Season 3 Episode 15.
Actually, most enjoyable were the alcohol-soaked adults.
Best of all was the odd pairing of Billy and D'Angelo Carter, who had been nemeses all season up until now.
The principal even had a good reason to barge into Billy's office in the late evening: a parent complaining about Billy cutting her short, slow son. Billy had a great retort that "They all can't be Rudy."
Then Billy's bottle, hidden in his desk drawer against all regulations, helped their inhibitions to dissolve, and they were off on a wacky trip down Memory Lane during an ongoing battle of oneupmanship.
And along the way, they discovered they had more in common than they realized.
First was BIlly's simplistic solution of having D'Angelo punch him so they'd be even.
- 6/22/2021
- by Dale McGarrigle
- TVfanatic
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