THE CARD COUNTER – Slow-paced film that turned on a dime about three quarters of the way through and kept me riveted from that point on. Incarcerated for atrocities he committed in the military police at Abu Ghraib, William Tell becomes expert at card counting and puts this skill to good use once released from prison. Always haunted by the sins of his past, he manages to keep them simmering just below the surface until a young man unexpectedly enters his life, unleashing the ghosts with an explosive force that sets William on a path of no return. Some truly brutal, disturbing action takes place in the Abu Ghraib scenes that I couldn’t watch. Martin Scorsese was involved with this picture which should give you a clue as to the intensity of the violence. Overall, an interesting delve into humanity, karma and redemption. Cheers. Boyfriends – 0; Girlfriends – 0.