I'm tempted to point out that certain films aren't about the plot, they aren't about action, they aren't even about characters... they're just about atmosphere, about mood. This excellent film is a little like that, but that doesn't do it justice, because the mood changes in different parts of the movie. That's intentional, of course, because this film works on many levels... it delves into different genres, or pays tribute to different genres, at various times.
Before I get too deep in the weeds, let me say I enjoyed the hell out of this film. It's not fast paced, but it's wonderful. The viewer must have patience and be willing to tolerate a slow moving film, cuz it sure ain't no action film. In one scene the two main characters are standing a few feet apart and it must take 7 or 8 minutes for them just to turn and slowly move close to one another.
The film is very well acted (and no it's not devoid of characterization as I hinted at in the first sentence). The strongest aspect may be the cinematography, which is superb. Obviously there's a strong element of Film Noir, but you'll even get a bit of a Tex-Mex-Western vibe in a couple of places. In terms of "horror", it's really very mild by today's standards, so don't expect that. Also don't expect much dialog, because it's rather sparse and understated in that regard.
Anyway, I loved it, it's different, and I can't believe it's the director's first major feature film.
Before I get too deep in the weeds, let me say I enjoyed the hell out of this film. It's not fast paced, but it's wonderful. The viewer must have patience and be willing to tolerate a slow moving film, cuz it sure ain't no action film. In one scene the two main characters are standing a few feet apart and it must take 7 or 8 minutes for them just to turn and slowly move close to one another.
The film is very well acted (and no it's not devoid of characterization as I hinted at in the first sentence). The strongest aspect may be the cinematography, which is superb. Obviously there's a strong element of Film Noir, but you'll even get a bit of a Tex-Mex-Western vibe in a couple of places. In terms of "horror", it's really very mild by today's standards, so don't expect that. Also don't expect much dialog, because it's rather sparse and understated in that regard.
Anyway, I loved it, it's different, and I can't believe it's the director's first major feature film.