I’m really on the fence with this one. Part of me is thinking this movie deserves a “B+” and should be happy with that. But it has been days since I saw Old Joy and I am still thinking about it. In fact, I am a little obsessed with it. Quite something when you consider that there is so little there on the surface to grab ahold of. The movie is just barely over an hour and, if I had to describe it in terms of thumbprint plot I would say: two friends walk, take a bath, barely speak. Think of it like this: movies like this (Twentynine Palms, The Brown Bunny) ALWAYS suck. This movie, if nothing else, is well told.
I remember liking Kelly Reichardt’s first film, River of Grass (starring Larry Fessenden) back in 1994. So I guess I am a fan.
