In the library there is a bin full of DVDs. One may take up to five and keep them for a week. Don’t forget to return them on time or you will pay a hefty over-due penalty, or worse, they will develop a terminal mold and eat your furniture, flooring and, eventually, your brain. Join me now as I take a look at one…
“Old Joy”
A film by Kelly Reichard
Staring Will Oldham and Daniel London
This is a film about two close-to-middle aged, hip, grunge
types who reunite after a period of separation to go on a short camping
trip. There, you have the entire plot
from beginning to end in almost complete detail. If you like small talk by stoned hippies
around the campfire while they shoot BBs at tin cans you will love the
dialog. If you like lingering (and I
mean l-i-n-g-e-r-i-n-g…) scenic shots of water flowing or overhead wires
passing by the car window, you will love the visuals. But, if you expect to go anywhere with a
storyline or solve any of Life’s mysteries you will be disappointed. I was not entertained. It was all I could do to keep my wife from
throwing a shoe at the new flat screen before the end of the film.
The camera work is clear and clean. The music suitably haunting. The acting (not the best description for what
the two characters do) is minimal to the point of non-existence.
I usually don’t read other
people’s reviews prior to writing one of my own but in this case I did. I just couldn’t help wanting to see if
anybody wrote a positive review. It
seemed impossible to imagine one but I was surprised. Four out of five stars? “Haunting”?
What film were they watching. But Hey! this film won the Narrative Film award at the Sarasota Film Festival!!!
Wow!
Don’t even start this DVD unless you have at least four
cheap beers at your disposal. They will help mask the stink of 4 Smelly Socks, which is my rating for this pic.
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