KrazovI decided to watch "The Card Counter" from Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver's" script) after seeing a short bit on Netflix where the main character explains how does the card-counting in question work. I never looked into details of it and it seems to be based on a simple principle. But that's not what the movie is about. If I had to point to the main aspect it's the titular character who wants to live anonymous live. Very much like Driver from "Drive" (the book, not the movie).
"Taxi Driver" is not merely a random reference on my end. Both characters are veterans who have problems with what they went through. William Tell here, though, ended up in an overly organised life, in no small thanks to 10 years in prison. The movie also shows how traumatic in general was what the US did in places like Abu Ghraib. I guess enough time has passed to be able to say more.
But going back to Driver. Both characters crave anonymity: Driver by renting places and not keeping anything personal and being able to just vanish, and William Tell by living in hotel rooms which he re-arranges to visually resemble a prison cell where he keeps writing his journal.
But then he begins to care and it opens him to his old trauma. You can escape from your demons only as far.
Definitely a strange movie, but I liked it.