Old Joy

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Ian C @RT37730542 May 9 Old Joy came to light for me through the recent release of the Yo La Tengo soundtrack to the film. Unfortunately, for me, the movie didn't live up to the score. I didn't take to Kurt the Will Oldham character; whether that was his portrayal or Kurt himself, I can't distinguish. On the whole I found this film a bit too nuanced and an unsatisfactory watch that failed to live up to the potential that the subject matter promised. See more Richard B @RichardB12314 Feb 16 A road trip movie and time capsule for the early 2000s when digital technology was becoming more ubiquitous, and ironically some of the Trump politics that Democrats used to be into, like worrying about mass migration, economic alienation, and machine politics overwhelming grassroots experiences. Apparently Howard Dean was trying to make Democrats go to the grassroots? Complaints about a Uniparty? The two friends in this backdrop show one falling into alienation and another starting a family. Nature was a backdrop to keep childhood friends together before their inevitable split. I remember from those years just starting to learn to meditate, which I recommend 20 years later, and the difficulty with managing energy and find that peace that one had before responsibilities crept up. See more lee C. @leechew Dec 25 so low key it seems uneventful. See more Tim M @tgmacman Nov 7 An assured sophomore effort from Kelly Reichardt, Old Joy manages to do a lot with very little. See more Lorenz L @Lorenz1060 Aug 29 The only character for whom I felt a modicum of empathy was the dog. There is noting to see/hear here. It could have been filmed anywhere - there is no sense of place or time. The characters are both incapable of speaking in any way which resembles even the most basic human communication (is that the point of the whole mess?). The editing is excruciatingly awful: gee, lets do ... JUMP CUTS ... but all in one scene and not too many. Did anyone actually direct this? Literally nothing happens. It is dead and null and void and a waste of celluloid. You will not feel anything or see the world in a different light except maybe an evasive glimmer of happiness that you only wasted about 76 minutes. My biggest question: What did the Criterion Collection do that it was forced to release this? I recently went go a screening of Béla Tar's "Sátántangó which lasts seven-and-a-half hours (two brief intermissions during which vegan gulasch was served) and contains a total of about 150 cuts (by contrast, there are about 75 cuts in the shower scene of Hitchcock's "Psycho" which lasts less than a minute), and I was never bored for a second. About 30 minutes in, I wanted to look at some background info on "Old Joy" (who ARE these people?) and got sidelined because when I turn on my computer it opens to a major newspaper and there was breaking news. So I read the article and some reader comments, and then played a round of a video game. Then I watched a bit more of "Old Joy" (I can't even justify calling it a movie or a film), and then I felt a slight pain in my upper lip. About 10 days ago I was hiking in brilliant sunshine longer than I expected and am still dealing with the after effects, like cracked lips. I went to put on some more lip balm, and then stopped in the kitchen and wondered if I should prepare the gnocchi I bought today with tomatoes and zucchini and capers and a red sauce and a good Parmigiano-Reggiano, or go Greek and do it with olive oil and lemon juice and Kalamata olives and feta cheese. Then I remembered that I had been watching something, and finished it. So there: I hope I have entertained you more than this wretched, pathetic amateur-hour abject failure. Go experiment with some gnocchi instead. See more Dave S @RT68722908 Aug 23 Living lives of quiet desperation, a pair of former roommates get together for an overnight camping trip in the Oregon wilderness. And there you have, on the surface, the plot of Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy. And there you have the reason why Reichardt’s films seem to be so divisive, a love ‘em or hate ‘em affair depending on how the viewer values plot and action. While it may not be her best effort, it certainly laid the groundwork for what would follow in her career – well-defined characters, an emphasis on visuals, contemplative moods, deliberate tempo, and revelations that you don’t even realize have happened until they’ve passed. Old Joy is the perfect place to start for anyone interested in checking out Reichardt’s oeuvre. See more Read all reviews

Old Joy

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