obscure movie pick of the week: Old Joy

In an effort to produce something more dependably regular here on art under your nose, I plan on routinely recommending a lesser known film weekly. I'll try my best to give you a good reason why you should waste your time and perhaps money on these fantastic works of cinema, usually by posting a past review I've written of the film.

To start off... This week, I was finally able to catch up with Kelly Reichardt's third or fourth film (depending on who's counting) Wendy and Lucy, an amazing little film that really packs a punch. It reminded me of how great Reichardt's previous film was. Released in 2006, Old Joy was in my personal top 10 of films from that year (a year filled with fantastic cinema like Pan's Labyrinth, Children of Men, and Half Nelson). Both films contain similar themes of anti-materialism and alienation presented in very distinct ways that reach you very differently. Both are highly recommended.

Below I've included a short review of Old Joy, which I wrote shortly after seeing the film in theaters.

Why you should see it:

What a deeply touching film this is! A movie about the refreshing nature of our youth, as well as male camaraderie and the eventual separation between friends (and that's just one of its many themes), Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy is one of the most tragic films of the year as well as one of the best. A film that definitely stays with you, with a powerful thought provoking message that's surprising for a film lasting a mere 76 minutes.

Such a timely film, Old Joy is the story of two men who at one point were more than friends, overly-close "bonding men" of sorts, but now have grown apart; one of them choosing a more stable/traditional married life (and expecting a child) while the other continuing with the hippy, carefree ways of his youth. As they go on a road trip in search of a more scenic destination, the subtle tension between the two steadily increases leading to more than a couple thought provoking conversations amongst the two friends, as well as a stunning climax of great restraint and depth. Perhaps the film is more geared towards men, but it's themes of separation in a bitter, indifference-promoting world, and later themes of helpless alienation are universal.

Now, this is not a movie for everyone! This is a very minimalist, if not flat out slow, film along the lines of Malick or Antonioni. And as with many of those directors' films, most of the audience in my theater was restless throughout, laughing as they left the auditorium in bewilderment. I've said it before and I'll say it again: these people just don't get it! They're too accustomed to today's overly explanatory films that when they're forced to do a bit of the work themselves they're lost and don't know how to "read" the film (movies are a form of literature after all), thus labeling it a boring or pointless exercise. And so the lazy cinema from Hollywood today has once again ruined new and inspired cinema for the masses. . . sigh . . .

If you enjoyed last year's masterpiece The New World, or any other such "slow" films, then Old Joy is definitely the 2006 indie release for you.