1989
Directed by Hal Hartley
Before I watched this, I read about Adrienne Shelly's murder, which was staged to look like a suicide. Kind of put a damper on the whole experience. I was still able to enjoy it, but all the conversations that the characters had about murders were...uncomfortable.
Audry believes that the world is ending. She has an idiotic boyfriend and an overbearing father, so maybe it is just wishful thinking. Her father hires a new auto mechanic, Josh, who has recently been released from prison. Audry is instantly attracted to him, despite the fact that Josh allegedly killed half of her friend Pearl's family. Strangely enough, Pearl does not seem too distraught about their relationship.
The Book blames unpolished acting for the parts of this film that don't work. I don't think that is entirely fair, as everyone seemed to ground their larger than life characters well. I think the director was trying a bit too hard to be quirky. Some of the dialogue was just strange and I am not sure what artistic purpose it was supposed to serve. Did people honestly say "don't be sore" to each other in the 80s? And Josh's conversation with the prostitute? The tone just didn't fit in with the rest of the movie.
Still, it was enjoyable enough and told an offbeat, weirdly optimistic story. Worth a watch.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Filmed in 11 days.
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