The Card Player (2004)

- Il cartaio
And I had such high hopes for this one, 25 August 2005

A deranged serial killer wants to play a game of internet poker with the police. But the stakes are very high. If the police win, the woman he has kidnapped goes free. If the killer wins, the captive dies. It's up to an Italian policewoman and an Irish agent to stop this high-tech killer before anymore young women die.

What Works:

- Set pieces. I have seen even the most ardent Argento critics admit that the worst of his movies have some nice set pieces. Argento's problem has always been stringing these set pieces together into a coherent story. While I could cite several examples, one set piece in The Card Player that really stands out is the scene where the killer is hiding in the policewoman's house. It's suspenseful and very nicely done.

- Nasty deaths. Although most of the actual scenes of murder take place off screen, we are treated to the nasty aftermath. The scenes of the police poking the murdered bodies in the morgue are as gruesome as you'll see. Especially when one of the bodies "fights" back. Eeeewwww.

- Acting. The two leads (Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham) are excellent. Both came across as believable and sometimes that's all you need. Plus, the chemistry between the two was very good. I could actually see the two of them together as a couple. It wasn't forced as is so often the case.

What Doesn't Work:

- Contrived Plot. Too often, The Card Player relies on the most unrealistic coincidences to advance the plot. It's as if the planets line-up just right for the killer to do and get away with the things he does. For example, in one scene, the killer uses a woman to lure a poker expert into a trap. The problem is that the man must follow the woman over what seems like half of Italy until he arrives at just the right spot before the killer springs into action. How does the killer know the poker guy will follow the woman that far? What if he tires of the chase and calls it quits? What if he meets another woman and goes with her? It felt too contrived to me to be believable.

- Acting. As good as the two leads are, much of the rest of the cast is terrible. I don't know if it's more a function of poor dubbing than it is actual acting ability, but the supporting cast doesn't come across very well. Some of the police captain's top assistants are about as convincing as the Three Stooges (not to mention they come across like the Three Stooges).

- The Poker Expert. The police captain's daughter has been kidnapped and could very well be the next victim. The police desperately need a poker expert to increase their odds of winning the game of online poker. Do they turn to a well-known, renowned poker player? Do they turn to a mathematician to assist in determining probabilities in poker? Heck, do they even seek out an someone with half a brain? The answer: No! Instead, the police put the fate of the kidnapped women in the hands of a brainless punk who plays video poker for pocket change.

Argento's The Card Player is a real hit or miss proposal. While Argento again shows his skill with set pieces and is blessed with some good acting, there are too many plot points that don't make much sense or are too far-fetched for me to rate The Card Player any higher.

5/10