Greetings again from the darkness. We've not previously seen a movie like this latest from writer/director David Lowery. Detractors will likely roll their eyes and ask "and why would we?", while those who find a connection here will pontificate endlessly on the existential meaning of life, love, loss and legacy. Polarized reactions to the film will lead to some colorful post-viewing discussions
exactly what would be expected from an artsy non-horror movie entitled A Ghost Story.
Yes, there is a ghost. However this ghost is neither friendly Casper nor angry spirit. Instead, for the vast majority of the run time, we see a white sheet covered Casey Affleck (at least we are told it's him) standing in static melancholic repose. We do initially meet Affleck's composer character in what appears to be a somewhat normal up-and-down relationship with his wife, played by Rooney Mara. In the midst of a passive-aggressive argument about whether to move from their somewhat dumpy suburban rental, Affleck's character is killed in an automobile accident mere feet from their driveway. We next see him back in the house, draped in a bedsheet (one way to keep wardrobe costs under control), and watching his grief-stricken wife through blackened eye holes.
We come to understand that the ghost is confined to the home and time seems to bounce from present to future to past. The residents change, but the ghost doesn't. Periodically the ghost flashes anger or some other act that disrupts the real world, but mostly he just stands and observes longingly.
A word of caution is in order. This is a deep cut, art house indie that features very little dialogue, almost no plot, and numerous extended fixed shots with no payoff for your anticipation. Oh, and it's shot in the old fashioned almost square aspect ratio. There are no creepy clowns under the bed or in the storm drains, and there is an absence of cheap jump-scares (OK, there is one that is the director's prank on the audience). This is more abstract experimental filmmaking than traditional horror, so choose your viewing partner accordingly.
Filmmaker Lowery previously collaborated with Affleck and Mara on the critically acclaimed 2013 Ain't Then Bodies Saints, and this one was filmed in secret just after Lowery completed Pete's Dragon. It takes a meditative approach to some of the issues we all ponder at times. Lines such as "We do what we can to endure", and "You do what you can to make sure you're still around after you're gone" these provide the clues when you begin to wonder what the film is trying to tell you. In fact, it isn't telling you anything. It's encouraging you to think. The film may lack a traditional narrative structure, but if taken with an open mind, it can generate some introspection that most movies wouldn't even attempt to inspire.
In addition to Affleck and Mara, the small cast also includes Liz Cardenas Franke (the film's producer) as the landlord, and singer-songwriter Will Oldham as a hipster philosopher/prognosticator who is given entirely too much screen time. Daniel Hart contributes an excellent use of music – especially considering the minimal dialogue and non-existent special effects. The film doesn't solve the mysteries of the universe, but it does answer the question of whether Rooney Mara can eat an entire pie in one uninterrupted shot. Expect descriptions as disparate as: inexplicable, pretentious, boring, thought-provoking, and existential whatever your reaction, you wouldn't be wrong.
Yes, there is a ghost. However this ghost is neither friendly Casper nor angry spirit. Instead, for the vast majority of the run time, we see a white sheet covered Casey Affleck (at least we are told it's him) standing in static melancholic repose. We do initially meet Affleck's composer character in what appears to be a somewhat normal up-and-down relationship with his wife, played by Rooney Mara. In the midst of a passive-aggressive argument about whether to move from their somewhat dumpy suburban rental, Affleck's character is killed in an automobile accident mere feet from their driveway. We next see him back in the house, draped in a bedsheet (one way to keep wardrobe costs under control), and watching his grief-stricken wife through blackened eye holes.
We come to understand that the ghost is confined to the home and time seems to bounce from present to future to past. The residents change, but the ghost doesn't. Periodically the ghost flashes anger or some other act that disrupts the real world, but mostly he just stands and observes longingly.
A word of caution is in order. This is a deep cut, art house indie that features very little dialogue, almost no plot, and numerous extended fixed shots with no payoff for your anticipation. Oh, and it's shot in the old fashioned almost square aspect ratio. There are no creepy clowns under the bed or in the storm drains, and there is an absence of cheap jump-scares (OK, there is one that is the director's prank on the audience). This is more abstract experimental filmmaking than traditional horror, so choose your viewing partner accordingly.
Filmmaker Lowery previously collaborated with Affleck and Mara on the critically acclaimed 2013 Ain't Then Bodies Saints, and this one was filmed in secret just after Lowery completed Pete's Dragon. It takes a meditative approach to some of the issues we all ponder at times. Lines such as "We do what we can to endure", and "You do what you can to make sure you're still around after you're gone" these provide the clues when you begin to wonder what the film is trying to tell you. In fact, it isn't telling you anything. It's encouraging you to think. The film may lack a traditional narrative structure, but if taken with an open mind, it can generate some introspection that most movies wouldn't even attempt to inspire.
In addition to Affleck and Mara, the small cast also includes Liz Cardenas Franke (the film's producer) as the landlord, and singer-songwriter Will Oldham as a hipster philosopher/prognosticator who is given entirely too much screen time. Daniel Hart contributes an excellent use of music – especially considering the minimal dialogue and non-existent special effects. The film doesn't solve the mysteries of the universe, but it does answer the question of whether Rooney Mara can eat an entire pie in one uninterrupted shot. Expect descriptions as disparate as: inexplicable, pretentious, boring, thought-provoking, and existential whatever your reaction, you wouldn't be wrong.