The story appears simple on the surface, but is revealed, especially after multiple viewings, as more multi-layered and textured than Cassavetes at his best. Ostensibly it concerns a 14-year old Catholic girl, Wynne (Agutter) growing up in this post-modern wasteland, who develops a crush on her much older adoptive brother (Marshall)- a crush which perversely deepens and grows into infatuation once she starts to believe he is the local sex killer. This is in itself an idea that makes you sit up and jolt, but as the narrative develops, it continues not necessarily along a linear path but in several confusing and fascinating directions: the family's history, (detailed effectively in chilling flashback during an improvised seance) is a chequered one, and has suffered at least one major relocation and upheaval in the last ten years. At the crux, however, it's the depiction of socialal changes that make I Start Counting so fascinating and elevate its language far beyond the confines of the standard horror film. The major subtext- that teenage girls were maturing more quickly than before, and developing full sexual and romantic appetites (even if in thought rather than deed) but were not possessed of enough discretion to make the right choices- was a step forward for a genre in which its young females had previously been portrayed as bimbo victims (Cover Girl Killer and The Night Caller spring to mind), but not one that all viewers would necessarily agree with. But most striking of all, and possibly the most enduring image which the viewer will take away with them, is of the masterful symbolism with which director Greene invests every shot. Every inch of the Kinch family's world- their house, their walls, their TV, Agutters underwear, bedroom furniture and toys, Sutcliffe's clothes, Marshalls van, the local Catholic church, their town centre, their record shop) - is painted a bright, scintillating white- a white which, by inference, is slowly becoming smudged and corrupted with the dirt of the outside world. White also symbolises, of course, purity and innocence (two qualities Catholic schoolgirls are supposed to hold dear), and it is into this world of innocence that the ever-present red bus (a symbol of violation and penetration), conducted by the lecherous yet similarly juvenile Simon Ward, makes regular journeys. The allegory is further expanded in one scene where Agutter believes she sees the Christ figure in church weeping blood: by the time we acknowledge it, its gone, but the seed has already been planted. Rarely in a genre production has the use of colour and background been so important or effective in creating a uniformity of mood. I Start Counting is as near-perfect an end to a decade as one could hope for, and exactly the kind of film people should be making now- which is, of course, exactly why they never will. A genre essential. by D.R.
男主的表演好棒，起初面无表情的赌博机器，发现小伙子去报仇丧命时候的微张的鼻翼，最后发现喜欢的人来探监时候会心一笑
这片要放在二十年前绝对是部美式文艺神片，无论是男主的挑选还是整体的调调，都可以打满分的。可惜在短视频占统治地位的今天，节奏就稍微有些慢了，信息密度有些低，爽点不够多，也就是我这样的古董业余观影人才会喜欢点赞吧。而且还有一个硬伤就是，为了迎合美式的政治正确，非得整个肥黑女做女主，真是拉垮全片。如果换成一个金发白皮尤物，那这片几乎就没有任何缺点了。
（7.3/10）《算牌人》的电影与其主角一样冷峻，施拉德创作的角色William是一个自我审判者，视赎罪为唯一目的，为赎罪不计任何后果。而正如他算牌的经验之谈，打出任何牌都会产生后果。Finally, he tilted.
新黑色电影与赌片杂糅，鱼眼广角下的战争创伤与幽闭恐惧。保罗·施拉德还是很老派啊，看来年度十佳真是各花入各眼
男主沉稳冷静的个性招人喜欢，只不过这一切表现都是从过去的不堪与痛苦蜕变而来的。鱼眼镜头表现出扭曲与表态的虐囚情形，让人心悸。把酒店所有家具都用床单包起来这是一种怎样的性格，看到最后到上校家要杀他时，看到上校家的家具也是这样包起来的，才知道这一切是有渊源的。女主演年轻的时候身材那么好，怎么现在发福这么厉害？吃错了什么吗？
三星半。有种有意为之的松散，似乎映照的是角色的心理感受
这个赌王不太冷。赌王线和复仇线双线把控，都停在肾上腺素飙升的临界点，简而言之就是看起来不太爽。在平凡的故事线对比之下，人物多了很多细节描写，用布家具把所有家具包裹起来的癖好，结尾发现是反派教官的癖好；google地图看到的反派教官家门口照片，成为结尾处小跟班深入敌营的线索... 就连随时擦枪走火的情侣，也要眉来眼去到最后。
想起了PTA的赌城纵横，故事简单却处处透着作者的气息。情节没那么复杂算计，也没有浮夸的爱恨纠葛，有的只是一个祈求宽恕的男人。最好的一点还在于不煽情。
美国的赌场太丑了，丑到不适合认真地拍摄，马丁Casino里浮夸的内饰和配色，用夸张掩盖了审美上的不适，再加上年代滤镜，自有一种浮夸复古范；电影里写实拍摄的当代赌场让我对类似Vegas场所的厌恶毫无保留地涌出来了。
Absolutely underrated. Dense and tense.
手，算牌的手，喝酒的手，写作的手，在背上上纹人生信条的手，高举呐喊USA的手，鞭打囚犯的手，杀人的手，因复仇而断掉的手，爱的手。
如果中间我没有因为疲惫而睡过去，我可能会更喜欢
救赎——一个稳定的母题，施拉德的每一部主角都是同一个男人的影子
如果最后算总账的那场戏略去，给观众一个想象空间，我会给多一星。【观影史 211202】
故弄玄虚的氛围和温吞的剧情推进有点脱节，爱情戏则像是硬加进去的佐料没有任何chemistry ，而”墙上挂着一把枪”的铺垫下的结果竟然是”我就是不让你看到我是怎么用的”，真是让人觉得非常没劲了。如果是一本小说，或许还挺值得一看。
明知一副好牌却不屑一顾，不为赌，只为爱好，规则明确适时抽离。影片有一种孤勇的气质又不乏男性魅力，形式感强化，酷。
伊萨克在片中给出了今年最沉入角色内心深处的表演之一，引人入胜、功力深厚。但施拉德“几年如一日”般地让自己被统摄在布列松的阴影之下，近乎痴迷地反复模仿；以及仍旧重复着那些暴力创伤应激、道德的绷与崩、自毁倾向、极端主义与极权控制等母题，这些题旨被近乎痴迷地反复书写。不能说不好，就是太重复，是施拉德第N次重复《出租车司机》，情节、人物关系全部如出一辙，但又由于反复太多次而导致有所失准，力度上也不如前作。
有神秘感，好演员。让观众能够跟随电影的情节。ptsd很可怕，参与其中的每个人都是受害者。
没字幕听Oscar Isaac讲牌的规则我就开始困
关塔那莫和拉斯维加斯一次拉郎配组合。讲精于计算的人孤注一掷，作死的历程。一大堆赔率和赌技渲染无非反衬出最后男主非理性的抉择。保罗施奈德似乎擅长这类心执异念，飞蛾扑火的悲剧人物命运设计。
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