There Are Memories with THE CARD COUNTER

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, Digital and Movies Anywhere from writer/director Paul Schrader and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the deeper story of THE CARD COUNTER.

William (Oscar Isaac) spent a period of time in the military and there he learned an unusual skill – counting cards. He decides to make his living playing cards jumping from casino to casino and plays below the radar to just sustain himself. William also never stays at the casino hotels but instead prefers to stay at motels farther out of the city.

During one casino run he meets La Linda (Tiffany Haddish) who recognizes William and introduces herself. He knows exactly who she is. She explains that a group of investors are backing players and they would want to back him. Of course, some of the money goes back to them and to La Linda and Williams says a polite ‘no thanks’ but he is attracted to her.

During one of his casino trips, he sees a seminar for about security with a speaker named Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe). Drawn to see for himself, William meets Cirk Baufort (Tye Sheridan) who slips him a number. Later that night, he has bad dreams about his time in the military and that pushes William to call Cirk.

Cirk tells William that his father is Roger Baufort and served with him in the military and at the Abu Ghraib prison. The young man’s father came home violent and addicted leaving behind a wife and son. Now Cirk wants to hold the man responsible for what happened to the men in the prison and the soldiers there – Major John Gordo – and Cirk wants revenge.

William again says ‘no thanks’ but asks Cirk if he wants to come along and see how gambling works to keep the kid safe. He also tells La Linda he is good with becoming part of her stable of players and wants to go to the World Series of Poker and then retire. Now the money starts rolling in but Cirk is not changing his mind so William shows him what will happen if he does not stop.

But everyone has their own path to follow.

Isaac as William is living with a past that is filled with violence and misery. Prison time was equally traumatic causing him to almost punish himself for the things he saw and did. Learning card counting became a way to earn a living without having much contact with people. Isaac has the unique ability to give his character the dark brooding appearance or a tortured soul, yet in his eyes the mind is like a steel trap.

Sheridan as Cirk is a young man who clearly has his own tortures to deal with. Angry at a father who checked out on him, his anger has a duality of the actions when he was alive and seeing his mother’s pain after. Meeting William gives him a chance to find someone to help him, but frustration sets in when Cirk realizes he is not reaching his new friend. Sheridan is taking the gambling life in but it is only a momentary deterrent.   

Haddish as La Linda spends her time collecting players for her stable and making a nice living for herself. Meeting William, she finds herself moving toward a relationship with someone who has more of a past than she could ever imagine. DaFoe as Major Gordo is a character that trained men to do horrible things and when they were held accountable, Gordo slipped away. That is until he met Cirk and William.

Other cast include Alexander Babara as Mr. U.S.A. and Bobby C. King as Slippery Joe.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

Focus Features’ mission is to make a lasting impact on global audiences by creating the home for artists to share diverse, distinctive stories that inspire human connection. Focus Features is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies that brings entertainment and news to a global audience. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.focusfeatures.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Exclusive Bluray, DVD and Digital Bonus Content includes A High-Stakes World – Paul Schrader discusses developing his signature characters and how the world of poker provided the perfect metaphor for William Tell’s predicament. Feature additional interviews with film’s stars Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish as well as poker consultant, Joe Stapleton.

THE CARD COUNTER is a mixture of a persons past and trying to live in the present with it all. Even though William is the central character of the film, it is also a story of how pain and tragedy affects each character in different ways. The only one who does not seem to see the problem is the Major, he instead believes in what he did.

This is a dark film that goes deep into the memories of William and gives a look into the decisions that he makes. Trying to help Cirk the only way he knows how, it is not enough to want to buy his emotional freedom. The young man tries to tell William how much pain he is in but its hard to hear when you have closed out all emotion.

In the end – reap what you sow!

He is a Father from STILLWATER

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD and Bluray from writer/director Tom McCarthy and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of a father looking for redemption in STILLWATER.

Bill Baker (Matt Damon) is a construction and oil-rig worker from Oklahoma who spends his days working hard and visiting Sharon (Deanna Dunagan). Packing his bag, he arrives in Marseilles to visit daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) who is in prison convicted of murder. Their relationship is strained as she has issues with her father, and he did not handle her upbringing well.

On this particular visit, Allison slips her father a note and asks that he deliver it to her attorney. Trying to do as his daughter wished, Bill discovers that the letter contained information that might help his daughter, but the lawyer has no interest. Determined to not let her down, Bill turns to private investigators to find someone Allison has mentioned who might know something.

Offering to help is Virginie (Camille Cottin), a theatre actress he met at the hotel and her little girl Maya (Lilou Siauvaud). Not speaking the language, Virginie helps translate and sees that Bill is dealing with a lot. Wanting to stay longer to help Allison, he becomes roomates with Virginie and forms a friendship with Maya.

He continues his visits with Allison and still looks for the potential killer. There time together reopens old wounds and yet when an unexpected event happens, Bill’s world is about to change. The pains of the choices he is making will follow him back to Stillwater.

Damon as Baker is a man who has a past that is not pretty and has caused emotional stress. Trying to make things right is made harder when his daughter Allison is 5,101 miles away in another country so when he has the chance to make things right with his daughter, he can not help himself but dive right in. The problem is he involves Virginie and Maya who come to care for him. Damon is a good ole’ country boy who says ‘yes ma’m’ and believes in helping just to help.

That’s what makes his character believable, Damon’s ability to draw us into this character who is like a fish out of water. That being said, it does not change who he is but instead quietly changes the way he sees the situation they are all in.

Cottin as Virginie is charming and although her first meeting with Bill is not a good one, she changes it around. She is also a good person at heart and sees what Bill is going through and wants to help where she can. Cottin gives her character so much understanding towards Bill’s situation.

Breslin as Allison is a daughter who is trying to get out of prison telling anyone who would listen that she is innocent. Bill believes her and tries everything and when old father-daughter issues come up, she remembers those problems and it causes problems. Breslin character is angry, frustrated and has a story to tell.

Siauvaud as Maya is adorable, charming, funny and the one character that seems to bring Bill any peace. Their relationship is based on nothing more than understanding one another until the bond they both loved so much becomes tested. Siauvaud gives the viewer a look at a child who gets caught up in adults messes.

Other cast includes Idir Azougli as Akim, Anne Le Ny as Leparq, Moussa Maaskri as Dirosa, William Nadylam as Patrick, Mahia Zrouki as Samira and Massiriat Mohamed as Souad.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

The Bluray and DVD Bonus Features include An Alchemy of Viewpoints – The cast of STILLWATER discuss their characters and the research that went into portraying them authentically, An American in Marseilles: The Location of STILLWATER – Hear from the cast and filmmakers on what it was like filming in locations such as the streets of Marseilles and the Calanques along the coast.

Also With Curiosity and Compassion: Director Tom McCarthy – Cast and filmmakers discuss the thought and interest that goes into director Tom McCarthy’s stories, and how he uses his natural curiosity about real life interactions to guide his filmmaking style.

STILLWATER is a story of a father and his past mistakes, a daughter and her own mistakes and anger issues and two other people caught up in the middle of their story. Watching Damon make his way through Marseilles trying to be the father he always should have been, it is heartbreaking and heart pounding every step of the way.

The cast allows the story to be told in a pace that is believable and director McCarthy gives us not only a tour of France but of the lives filled with grief and attempted redemption. Beautifully done.

In the end – secrets run deep!

 

There is more to THE PHANTOM

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from BAFTA-winning director Patrick Forbes, Greenwich Entertainment and premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival is the story of death, investigation, and injustice with THE PHANTOM.

In 1993, a young woman named Wanda Lopez was working a night shift at a Shamrock gas station in Texas when police dispatch receives a call. Ms. Lopez is worried about a young man outside the store who is scaring her. He enters the store and proceeds to rob and bring tragedy leaving behind a haunting recorded moment for investigators.

Arrested is 20-year-old Carlos DeLuna who is found lying underneath a car after a telephone call gives away his hiding. Taken into custody he is charged with the murder of Wanda Lopez. After questioning, Carlos tells police that the person responsible is also named Carlos Hernandez. During the investigation police did not find any other Carlos to link to the crime.

Prosecutors in the case told the jury that the “other” Carlos was a phantom, someone DeLuna wanted to blame for the heinous murder of an innocent woman. Even with no evidence linking DeLuna (no blood on his body or money from the robbery etc.) the jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death. Covering the trial was just a young reporter Karen Boudrie Greig who was swept up in the trial as the Lopez and DeLuna families were.

After the trial, it was Greig who kept in touch with DeLuna who continued to tell the story that it was the other Carlos responsible for the young woman’s death. In December of 1989, no one else could help DeLuna face the courts verdict. Professor James Liebman from Columbia University would speak with Greig letting her know the team was looking into it and discovered the phantom was real.

The answers would come, but not before the truth could set DeLuna free!

The Wrong Carlos: Anatomy of a Wrongful Execution is a book by James S. Liebman and the Columbia DeLuna Project as well as thewrongcarlos.net that lets readers see crime scene photos, court records, videotape interview and more.

Director Forbes says of the film, “I’m thrilled to be working with Greenwich on THE PHANTOM. They completely got the movie from day one – the mystery at its heart, and the tragic importance of what happened. In this film, for the first time we prove without a shadow of a doubt that America executed an innocent man. It’s a shocking, moving, and enraging story, and I couldn’t wish for a better partner to tell it with”.

THE PHANTOM is a heartbreaking story of a young man who told the truth and instead of diving deeper to keep from doing the wrong thing, chose the easy way to convict and move on. The DeLuna family is horrified learning of the history of Hernandez and how the police refused to investigate or admit they were wrong from beginning to end.

The tape played in court of Ms. Lopez seemed to me to be the convicting factor for a jury looking to make someone responsible. Yet, when it came time for evidence, there just was not any so for a jury to not take that into consideration just hurts the soul.

Listening to DeLuna’s brother tell his story of youth, family, difficulties and how it is possible that his brother became connected to Hernandez is so very important. DeLuna is not seen by the court as a person because they chose to believe and took the easiest route to “solving” a murder investigation.

THE PHANTOM does what the justice system did not, bring together all the evidence and all the people who have brought this story so that it never happens again.

  

PAPILLON

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres this week from director Michael Noer and Bleeker Street is an epic escape from the man they call PAPILLON.

Henri ‘Papillon’ Charriere (Charlie Hunnam) is living the criminal life in France and seemingly enjoying it all with Nenette (Eve Hewson). His high life comes crashing down when he is accused of murder and sent to a penal colony in French Guiana.

On the way he meets counterfeiter Louis Dega (Rami Malek) and offers to be his security from the attack of others. Once at the prison, they are introduced to Warden Barrot (Yorick van Wageningen) who makes it plain that he will tolerate no breaking of the rules. Papillon tries to set up the best jobs with the money Dega has. It all seems to be going well until they duo hear from Deputy Gordon. The officer has a history with Dega and paybacks put the two into hard labor.

Around heavy rock, explosive and other angry prisoners, Papillon is determined to find a way out. As he sees the extreme brutality of their incarceration and it only pushes him harder. Dega also makes it clear that he wants to leave any way possible but when a moment presents itself, Papillon leaves him behind.

Back at the prison, the Warden makes it clear that what Papillion will experience next is not rehabilitation but the insanity of silence. Two years later and Papillon and Dega meet once again and the plan picks up where they left off. This time they enlist the help of Celier (Roland Moller), Maturette (Joel Basman) and a boat.

Free on an island Papillon meets a nun who help the survivors of the boat escape to recuperate but it is short lived. Five years later Papillon and Dega reunite on Devil’s Island with no bars and no real guards. Just learning to survive in the harshest conditions and still burning with the idea of escape.

One more time – one more chance!

Hunnam as Papillon reaches out to every spectrum of human emotion in the over two hour span of story telling. To the crazy years never-a-care years in France, to what he must do to survive the prison, two years of solitary confinement, torture, near starvation and darkness. Every bit of it shows in Hunnam’s portrayal and at times it’s disturbing to witness. He carries the full weight of this film and it shows in every frame.

Malek as Dega is clearly a man who has never been in a situation to need protection but quickly realizes its Papillon that can provide it. The problem is Dega consistently forces others to take up his slack forcing his protector to protect overtime. As each day passes, Dega becomes wiser and a little more taking of a punch. Malek gives his stoic character life when it needs it and acceptance when all else fails.

Wageningen as Barrot is a man determined to run a prison with an iron fist. He is not about to let Papillon change any of that. Finding more and more way to try and break him, it is not an easy feat with the strong willed man.

Moller as Celier is just as crafty as they come knowing Papillon is the guy to make it happen. Riding his coattails out the prison door is exactly what he intends to do. Basman as Maturette is the boyish young man who is just as deadly as the company he is keeping.

Other cast include Nina Senicar as the Leper, Michael Socha as Julot, Christopher Fairbank as Jean Castili, Ian Beattie as Toussaint, Nick Kent as Brioulet, and Brian Vernel as Guittou.

In 1973, Steve McQueen took on the role of Papillon and along with Dustin Hoffman proved he was the perfect leading man to handle the telling of director Franklin J. Schaffner’s vision. For it’s time it was ground breaking as the film garnered an Oscar Nomination for Best Music Original Dramatic Score and a Golden Globe nomination for Steve McQueen.

Forty-five years later we have a darker telling with Hunnam and Malek digging even deeper into the lives of these two men and a place that is equal to hell on earth. The film is grim in the cinematography to match the story and where it takes us. It is harsh, intense, and a momentary reunion between two SOA (FX’s series Sons of Anarchy) brothers that tugged at my heart.

PAPILLON is a book written by Henri Charriere published in France in 1969 about his 14 years in prison. It became a best seller and is still considered today one of the best books published. Charriere would spend the rest of his life in Venezuela as a free man with his story written and seen on the screen.

In the end – this is the greatest escape adventure ever told!