thoughtful, if you're in the mood for thought

katxo

If you have an attention span of sit-com-length, this is not your movie. True, it's 90 minutes or so, but those moments are stretched- as they should be.  Sid's character (the sage, of sorts) wants to stretch a moment, and that is what this movie seeks to do.  For the most part, these characters are ordinary people- and the actors play them as such.  The dialogue isn't expository, but it's real- the characters interact as any person would. There are no huge turning points, explosions, love-struck stares, and all the rest of the hollywood spin supposed to be "real."  These are people who could live down the street.

The best part, though, was the cinematography- the camera work is beautiful. There are just enough jump cuts to get your attention, but for the most part, the camera frames these ordinary lives without intruding on them, all while capturing the oranges, reds, and warm whites of the Arizona landscape.

While the character of the painter is supposed to be a sage- offering wise comments about identity and humanity, I was relieved when his mistakes/flaws were finally revealed at the end.  All-in-all, the symbols and stress points made for a thoughtful movie.

score 7/10

katxo 2 August 2003

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0319000/