Hale County This Morning, This Evening

A kaleidoscope of image and sound that isolates fragments of the banal and the everyday to deliver an impressionistic tone poem whose focus is less about telling a story and more simply about showing a moment frozen in time.

Announces the arrival of a refreshing new talent, who - in a poetic and impressionistic fashion - manages to find something real and true in the ordinary lives of ordinary people. I'd argue a long take or two should've been left on the cutting room floor, yet I can definitely see myself revisiting this, if only to bask once more in its visceral and captivating atmosphere.

Curious as to how Apichatpong Weerasethakul became creative advisor as he's credited as. Last 30ish minutes are good-to-great, before that I feel like some things could've been cut.

Formless narrative of apparently disconnected moments works well in parts, (there is always something oddly appealing about seeing everyday 'mundanities' closely observed, be it shooting hoops or a child part playing, part performing for a camera). The lack of narrative spine causes the film to stutter in its dramatic impact; given there is no over-arching portrait of the society/town as a whole, it makes it easy for the viewer's attention to wander. Still an interesting and noble effort.

Shut it off 18 minutes in, after about the 20th time-elapse shot of the sky. Artsy-farty bullshit waste of time. I hate silent films and this is even worse, a narrative-less film. Like reading poetry that's just random words.