Il Cartaio (The Card Player) (2004)

20% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
25% of users liked it
(3,061 ratings)

A serial killer with a knack for video poker and a taste for blood taunts a determined policewoman in director Dario Argento's attempt to bring the traditional giallo into the digital age. Detective Anna Mari (Stefania Rocca) is sitting at her desk when a message from an anonymous online gambler… More A serial killer with a knack for video poker and a taste for blood taunts a determined policewoman in director Dario Argento's attempt to bring the traditional giallo into the digital age. Detective Anna Mari (Stefania Rocca) is sitting at her desk when a message from an anonymous online gambler bearing the moniker "The Card Player" invites her to join a game of video poker. When the game screen loads, Mari is horrified to learn that the stakes of the game are higher than she ever could have imagined, as an unidentified female in an over-pixilated web-cam window screams for her life. Though the chief initially refuses to take part in the killer's horrifying game, the death of the innocent victim leads Mari to seek more unconventional means of tracking the murderous gambler. As the killer continues to taunt police, British policeman John Brennan (Liam Cunningham) is brought in to help solve the case. When the killer ups the ante by kidnapping the police chief's daughter, it's only a matter of time before the killer and Mari herself are locked in a pulse-pounding, life-or-death game in which anyone could hold the winning hand. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Dario Argento
Genres: Horror, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 2, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Aug 23, 2005

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr, New York Times
Though it's based on a promisingly outrageous premise ... the film unfolds as a tired, thoroughly conventional police procedural that might as well be titled CSI: Roma.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Fans of the cult helmer who expect the usual gore will be disappointed -- but there are compensations.
Jean-François Vandeuren, Panorama
Plutôt embarrassant.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
What most disappoints, then, is the film's aggressive ordinariness.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
Argento can't adapt thrills of digital entertainment to the thrills of cinema.
Bill Gibron, DVD Verdict
This may be a first for Argento: a movie in which the narrative, not his obvious artistic sensibility or reliance on the repulsive, pulls us through the plot.
Staci Layne Wilson, About.com
Click to read the article.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Low-grade Argento gets the red carpet treatment from Anchor Bay. The movie isn't a keeper but the extras are certainly enticing.
Anton Bitel, Movie Gazette
Argento, the once great king of giallo, goes down the drain - which is the only royal flush to be seen in this sub-par gambling thriller.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
This oddly flat serial-killer picture shows none of the baroque flair that characterizes the best of Italian horror filmmaker Dario Argento's work.
Jeremy Knox, Film Threat
An okay story, a tepid and convoluted plot, no logic and silly dialogue.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Watching the online cards turn slowly (sometimes painfully so) in the film is to be reminded of how good Argento used to be when his aesthetic approach was less synthetic.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lee ?

Cyber-thriller about a thrill-seeking killer who kidnaps women and then lures the police into a game of online poker to play for the lives of the victims. This one misses the mark, which is a shame because the plot has pontential but it was nowhere near as suspenseful as it could have… More
Cyber-thriller about a thrill-seeking killer who kidnaps women and then lures the police into a game of online poker to play for the lives of the victims. This one misses the mark, which is a shame because the plot has pontential but it was nowhere near as suspenseful as it could have been. Acting all-round is quite poor except for Liam Cunningham who livens things up whenever he's on screen. Music was cheap techno-garbage which does nothing to add to the tension. Gone is the style and clever camera work that Argento employed in his 70s and 80s films. A real let-down... probably the directors worse film to date.
Lafe F

The trailer and DVD packaging makes it look like cheap Euro-porn, but it's actually a good Argento movie, comparable to his original animal trilogy of films, Tenebre, Opera, Trauma and the previous Sleepless. It has a compelling mystery, a list of suspects, beautiful ladies in… More
The trailer and DVD packaging makes it look like cheap Euro-porn, but it's actually a good Argento movie, comparable to his original animal trilogy of films, Tenebre, Opera, Trauma and the previous Sleepless. It has a compelling mystery, a list of suspects, beautiful ladies in peril, a black-gloved killer, colourful police detectives, interesting cinematography and cool musical score. The clues found to track down the killer's location reminded me of earlier Argento classics like Deep Red. There are memorable suspense sequences like the policewoman's home intruder, the pursuit of the mysterious woman with the death door gamble, the poker games of death, especially the finale on the train tracks. I liked the card-playing wiz-kid they found to outwit the killer. The killings had less blood-flow shown, which may disappoint some Argento gore-fans. The romantic chemistry was good between the leading investigators. I wasn't disappointed; this movie just needed better marketing. If you're looking for a poor Argento film, go watch the Stendhal Syndrome.
Matt P

The concept is very interesting with this one and the kills are good. The love story, however, dragged the film down and made it too conventional.
Marcus W

Here, the victims lives depend on a game of online poker. And that aspect of the film is great and works really well. Sadly, Argento has given up on visual style, chucks in a needless love story - in fact, the Irish guy adds nothing to the film whatsoever. And the twist is straight… More
Here, the victims lives depend on a game of online poker. And that aspect of the film is great and works really well. Sadly, Argento has given up on visual style, chucks in a needless love story - in fact, the Irish guy adds nothing to the film whatsoever. And the twist is straight out of Saw II, only it makes no sense. Hard to believe this is from the director of Phenomena.