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I Dream You Dream of Me (2018)
Supreme attainment of mood
What can you say about a short film? The best that can be said about something that's not feature length is that its brevity is its greatest strength, that if it was longer it wouldn't work. That's Reeder's achievement here.
Languorous tempo, evocative visuals, hypnotic music, enigmatic scenario: 10 perfect minutes. Not a word is said and none needs to be--language would break the spell.
It's all about the mood and the flow and the sense of time and place. The film puts us somewhere that's equally concrete and abstract, and that's so hard to pull off.
The title offers a sideways clue to the meaning of the film. Perhaps. Or perhaps not.
Relative (2022)
The comedy and drama of everyday life's crossroads
Michael Glover Smith's fourth film and his best yet. He very confidently juggles a large ensemble of characters, giving each one their own choice moments without it feeling contrived. They're all recognizable, flawed human beings sketched out with compassion. But he also doesn't offer excuses for anyone's behavior. And his cinematic technique "feels" very restrained and understated, so that when he does reach for a special moment it doesn't feel like he's just showing off. (A beautiful "circle of time" shot which captures the transition of time passing is only one example.) This straightforward quality keeps everything grounded. The entire cast is excellent; Wendy Robie's touching and warm-hearted portrayal of the family's matriarch will surely open the eyes of many viewers who know her only from Nadine on "Twin Peaks." Bravo.
Jasper Mall (2020)
Sale--Owners Retirement
A beautifully structured observational documentary. Each vignette is a little gem. You really feel as if you know these people. And like the best documentaries, it doesn't make any judgement calls about the people whose lives you're witnessing. It certainly made me wistful for the shopping malls of my youth. Love that Santa! I really appreciated the thoughtful, evocative soundtrack as well.
Among Wolves (2016)
Patient observation leads to quiet rewards
The subject matter, on its face, doesn't knock my socks off. But the delicate, deliberate way that this film observes people and their environments (the way that every documentary ought to) won me over. The poetic cinematography and evocative sound design elevate it into art. Bravo.