Liverpool

Remarkable Fourth Film by Young Argentine Filmmaker
Had the great pleasure of seeing Lisandro Alonso's films at the Flaherty Seminar a few year ago. They are without question challenging and those who have only known traditional narrative or Hollywood films will either open their minds to the experience or reject them out of hand. This is not a spoon fed story giving you all the answers. It is slow, messy & unresolved, like life. Beautifully shot & edited, I cannot forget my emotions at the last shot. Don't read other reviews unless you want spoilers.

absurd
This film dares to tread a fine line in depicting bleakness of human existance. It is too easy for bleak to mean dull and for the viewer dull can be infectious. Nevertheless I persevered with this film until the end because its ludicrudnous amused me and I could not quite believe the blank canvas being painted would NOT melt over into some rhytmn / some crux of the matter. But cheat me the film did.

The large ocean vessels of today require no more than a crew of maintanance men to sail the high seas. The camera pans on its janitors extremely mundane activities. Farrell leaves this perfectly monitored existance for some god-forsaken town in the middle of nowhere covered in snow. There are a few scenes of Farrell masticating ; pottering and taking nips out of a bottle. The most exciting thing he does is a very short spot of spying There is an elderley man who appears to know him. We listen in as he discusses inanities on the phone. ( ie: " don't forget to round the sheep...



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