Tilted: A Reflection on the Film the Card Counter (2021)

 Movie seen on September 15, 2021, a return to Alamo Drafthouse (Yonkers) since the pandemic.

TILTED: A REFLECTION ON THE FILM THE CARD COUNTER (2021)

Michael DeNobile reviews the 2021 film The Card Counter and its moral implications. Movie seen at Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, NY.

The last time Michael DeNobile went to his favorite theater (Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, NY) was to see Disney’s Onward in March 2020, the week before the world locked down due to the pandemic. It’s good to be back at the Alamo.

Life can be unfair. While we must be responsible for and own up to our own choices, when our superiors condone and create an environment for those choices to flourish, it is unfair when only we are punished and not them. In fact, it is even more unfair when they are rewarded in the long run.

The odds are always in the house’s favor, regardless of the game. And if you are able to count cards and stay under the radar, you can create a sense of harmonic justice in the universe if you can count them while staying under the radar. Being able to control the odds in your favor along with the wisdom of age can provide a sense of balance and healing.

When we are broken, and we see others broken like we are, we have a desire to fix things. 

However, we can become “tilted”—that is, become so consumed by emotion that we can become blinded and make a series of missteps. Just because things bring balance for us, does not mean it will bring balance for others. We cannot make meaning for others; we can only help them discover their meaning and purpose. Otherwise, we may force ourselves to travel down dark roads we are unable to return from. Hopefully, though, we can find companions along the way to light our dark paths like a neon-lit park at night.

For inquiries with Michael DeNobile, you can email him at michael.denobile@gmail.com.