Big fan of the Criterion Channel (streaming) and this month they released a new collection based upon the works of director Hal Hartley, whom I'd never heard of before.
There's an overall tone with this movie which is a little Michael Lynchey (without the weirdness), but even more like an American version of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai's style. Not in terms of WKW famous cinematography, but in other aspects of tone and story. Like WKW, there is subversive quality of this film that is hard to pin down where the movie doesn't come off as immediately good. You just have to sit there and marinate in the work and it sort of starts to wash over you. And while I generally fall for 80s movie, I also really like 80s movies that don't necessarily feel like or contain all the tropes of 80s movies--of which this is one.
This film has a very 90s indie feel generally (NOT mumblecore). I'm thinking of Linklater's earliest works and for some reason George Sluizer's The Vanishing (1989). The scene between Josh (Robert John Burke) and Jane (Omgosh that was Edie Falco!?) that goes:
Jane: '"That girl is crazy." Josh: "I know, but I like her." etc.
...was understatedly hilarious.
Audry and Pearl (Julia McNeal--resembles Gillian Jacobs) are super pretty, but edge goes to Audry (Adrienne Shelly, RIP--tragic 2006 death--read her wiki).
Maybe because I have Woody Allen on-the-mind currently, just as a general plot, I could see this situation coming from the pen of Allen (not the prose/dialog style).
My only real critique was that The dad character (Chris Cooke) was easily swayed in multiple directions (but perhaps that's simply his character trait) and there was a lot of situational/plot convenience during act 3. Some of the time jumps seem a little too abrupt (pacing and cutting-wise) and like script training wheels as well.
But overall I really enjoyed the movie and am looking forward to diving into the filmography of Hal Hartley.
There's an overall tone with this movie which is a little Michael Lynchey (without the weirdness), but even more like an American version of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai's style. Not in terms of WKW famous cinematography, but in other aspects of tone and story. Like WKW, there is subversive quality of this film that is hard to pin down where the movie doesn't come off as immediately good. You just have to sit there and marinate in the work and it sort of starts to wash over you. And while I generally fall for 80s movie, I also really like 80s movies that don't necessarily feel like or contain all the tropes of 80s movies--of which this is one.
This film has a very 90s indie feel generally (NOT mumblecore). I'm thinking of Linklater's earliest works and for some reason George Sluizer's The Vanishing (1989). The scene between Josh (Robert John Burke) and Jane (Omgosh that was Edie Falco!?) that goes:
Jane: '"That girl is crazy." Josh: "I know, but I like her." etc.
...was understatedly hilarious.
Audry and Pearl (Julia McNeal--resembles Gillian Jacobs) are super pretty, but edge goes to Audry (Adrienne Shelly, RIP--tragic 2006 death--read her wiki).
Maybe because I have Woody Allen on-the-mind currently, just as a general plot, I could see this situation coming from the pen of Allen (not the prose/dialog style).
My only real critique was that The dad character (Chris Cooke) was easily swayed in multiple directions (but perhaps that's simply his character trait) and there was a lot of situational/plot convenience during act 3. Some of the time jumps seem a little too abrupt (pacing and cutting-wise) and like script training wheels as well.
But overall I really enjoyed the movie and am looking forward to diving into the filmography of Hal Hartley.