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Directed by David Lowery, starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/c_3NMtxeyfk
ReplyI was fortunate enough to watch this at Sundance London last weekend, and it’s the film that has stuck with me most. It has its finger in my ear poking at my brain still 8 days on.
It’s such a weird, insular, tiny film, which is what probably makes its impact even more profound. The first hour is possibly a near-perfect narrative of love, loss, heartbreak, mourning and overcoming it all. It’s predominantly silent, but the performances from Mara and Affleck are pretty sublime. Even when Affleck is under a white sheet, I felt every emotion he was conveying.
The score is hauntingly beautiful, coupled with a gorgeous Cinematography. It balances that fine line of ‘artiness’ and engaging, emotional substance which most films fall far too much either side of. There are serious echoes of Malick from the beginning, but while Malick’s recent efforts have been attempted (and failed) style without any substance to it, Lowery combines the two to make a rather unforgettable film.
From the hour mark until about ten minutes from the end, it is nowhere near as strong. It loses that nuclear perspective which made the first hour so compelling, and I longed for that to return. Fortunately, it did. If the film was solely those 70 minutes, it would be a full on 5 stars. That 20 minute(ish) blip does cause it drop to a 4 star film overall, but it is one of hell of a 4 star film. Some people won’t get it. It isn’t for everyone. But if it is for you, I imagine you’ll have a tough time getting it out of your head.
ReplyCopy URLThe trailer is not my cup of tea but any potential Oscar consideration?
I don’t see it picking up anything, just because of the kind of film it is. But it possibly does deserve to be considered. If eligible, there is a song in the film called ‘I Get Overwhelmed’. It’s in the trailer, and Casey’s character appears to write and sing it in the film, though it is performed by a band whose name escapes me at the moment. If it is eligible, then that is where it’s best shot is, if anything.
ReplyCopy URLI just saw this was coming soon to the arthouse theater near me, along with other Sundance standouts The Big Sick and Brigsby Bear, and basically flipped out from excitement. I was getting annoyed that they haven’t been playing anything all that interesting lately because I won free movies for a year there and was worried it was going to waste, but as usual we have to endure the popcorn movies until late summer/awards season when the true films release. And of course The Beguiled at the end of the month!
A Ghost Story looks like such an experience, I cannot wait. I obviously love Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, as well as the visually poetic Malick style, but I’m also slowly becoming a fan of David Lowery. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and Pete’s Dragon, even his writing, producing, and editing on a handful of other indie projects, have all shown great taste and the sophisticated competence of a very promising director on the rise.
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