screener.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189259/
The Pleasure of Being Robbed.
America has finally found it's answer to the aspirations of foreign cinema. Moreso than any American film I've seen before it, this film feels like a foreign film. Its very existence signals the dawning of a new age in independent film. This film defies conventional filmmaking in a way few have before; those few clearly being the French New Wave and the work of directors like John Cassavetes in America, among others. I can but dream we have more films of this caliber coming from it's director Josh Safdie and the few this film is sure to inspire.
Mostly beautiful yet often ugly, much at the same time, the film's camerawork is completely evocative of it's main character; this is most obvious in the film's use of focus. Constantly dropping out of focus, many critics have apparently decided that this is definitive proof of the film being "technically deficient". (Laura Kern) What I'm arguing here is in fact the complete opposite: the film is most decidedly enhanced by this aspect of it's cinematography. Yes, much of the film goes out of focus. But what focus does it's protagonist's (Eléonore) life have? She wanders around stealing, not stealing, looking through purses, and on and on. This is clearly a proficient use of technique, just not a conventional one.
-.
I've decidely lost what little writing proficiency I once had, otherwise, I assure you (me), I would write endless amount of my usual bullshit about this remarkable film.
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