This current - albeit very limited - wave of American neorealist cinema really appeals to me. The non-actors (all great), the intelligent switches between silence and raw, cacophonic outburts and the amazing cinematography (look for the sunsets, sunrises, misty rural areas and - especially - the silhouettes) all come together in an empathetic and depressing movie mastering the "show - don't tell"-technique. Obvious double bill together with David Gordon Green's "George Washington".

I am so encouraged to see American filmmaking like this: patient, meditative, affecting, thought-provoking, humanist. The list goes on. The closest analogy I have for this film is the work of Bresson, but even there the analogy works in some ways but not others. Hammer often makes wonderful and thoughtful use of edits and pans. The third act might move a tad quickly for what occurs, but the film has so many beautiful moments, that the slight narrative misstep is easily forgiven.

Definitely captures what it intended, with a pervasive sorrow tinged with the slightest hint of hope. The situations feel like they could have been pulled out of a local paper, if they had escalated just a little bit further. The characters don't dance as if upon a stage, but saunter through the film like the faceless masses wander past us on the streets. This is a slow film, one that asks you to expect little, and requires you to delve into it to find meaning.

The Mississippi River delta location is shot beautifully. This, coupled with the depressing content, creates an intense atmosphere. Perhaps the camerawork is too jerky for the content, and the cuts too often, but the atmosphere and acting (despite the non-actors) shines.

21 Aralik 08, sinema-tarih bulumasi, gmall macka cinebonus, salon5, 2ytl , & gercekci bir anlatima sahip, etkileyici bir film. sonunda kursunlari suda gorunce yureginize oturuyor.

Not nearly atmospheric enough to justify its simplicity (that's right, not "subtlety").