The reviews have been almost universally positive, except . . .
There’s been some pretty bad ones!
Like Armond White [film critic from the New York Press].
Armond White does not like the film, I’ve learned.
He’s a contrarian. But let’s say I was Armond White, I would say, how can you be so presumptuous as a white guy to make a film about poor black people?
That’s bullshit, you know. Should a white filmmaker only make films about white people? Should a black filmmaker only make films about black people? Should a Korean only make films about Koreans? Like, what happens to the poor people who live in Iceland when there’s such a small population? Only make films about themselves? That’s fucking bullshit, I’m sorry, but it makes me angry. I took painstaking measures to be objective. I wrote about grief, I wrote about hope, I wrote about these things that can translate to any culture, to any race, to any gender. And I didn’t make a film about the blues. I didn’t make a film about civil rights. I made a film about grieving. And I made a film about a place that I love and documented it with as much objectivity as possible. And I gave authorship. I sought out people in this region and gave them full control of the language and the ability to manipulate scenarios as they saw fit, whenever they wanted.
I found the ending enigmatic. Are we looking at a Ballast 2?
No, no I can’t do it. Armond White tells me I can’t do it, so I’ve got to go make movies about white people in my neighborhood. I live in Hollywood. I’ll make a film about filmmaking. We need another one of those. That’ll do the world some good, won’t it?
Related:
White on black, EXCERPT: The Conversation, Another Bush lie, More 
- White on black
Lance Hammer’s minimalist melodrama pushes William Faulkner into the 21st century or relocates Russell Banks from the Northeast to the Mississippi Delta.
- EXCERPT: The Conversation
Peter Keough discusses how The Conversation is a B List movie.
- Another Bush lie
Online history lesson
- Movies on the Midcoast
Yet again, this year’s festival tackles an admirable hodgepodge of subjects — online gaming junkies, Harry Potter fanatics, and even Cockney gangsters in London’s East End.
- When men were men
Since Sam Peckinpah’s untimely death at the age of 59, he has acquired such legendary status that it’s startling to remember that he made only 14 films over a period of 22 years.
- Appaloosa
A revisionist Western in the vein of Unforgiven , it plumbs the gray areas in black-and-white frontier justice.
- The Boston Phoenix–Alumni Film Critics’ Poll
It’s true, the Boston Phoenix has never won an Oscar.
- Are we grading on a curve?
It’s a solid B, which isn’t bad considering the vagaries of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
- The Oscars go to Hell
Maybe it’s just as well if the writers’ strike forces a cancellation of the Oscars show.
- Fabulous flicks
A new crop of local entrants, including a professional filmmaker, won awards at the third annual Portland Phoenix Maine Short Film Festival, which turned out to be the most competitive ever ... and the most fun!
- Movies are moving, hot dogs are hopping, Binga's is burning
Even as the temperatures drop and we head into hibernation mode for winter, Portland's drinking, dining, nightlife, and shopping scenes continue to evolve. Here's a round-up of comings and goings.
- Less
Topics:
Features
, Entertainment, Movies, Robert Bresson, More
, Entertainment, Movies, Robert Bresson, Armond White, Wim Wenders, Lance Hammer, Ballast, Mississippi Delta, Less
