Hamilton

A very young single mother living in Hamilton, Maryland tries to connect with the father of her child before going on a month's summer vacation. To say that very little happens in this film would be an understatement, but it's really got a spare visual poetry to it that kept me transfixed for it's brief barely-over-an-hour running time.

Young women talk by a river bed and swim in backyard pools. The sullen young father mows lawns to earn money and plays with his dog. They connect for one night, but he awakens in the middle of the night and plays video games while she looks on. There's a real melancholy quality that invokes the potential disconnect between sex and it's consequences.

Jeremy Saulnier was the film's cinematographer.

Hamilton is a quiet meditation on life in a quiet northeast Baltimore neighborhood -- a world away from the grim hustle and bustle of the world that make up Baltimore's cinematic alter-ego "The Wire." There is no real plot, just a situation. An unwed mother waits for her baby's father to live up to his responsibilities. The boy's mother is waiting for the same thing. That's about it. No action. Not much talking. Not much emotion. Just the awkward silence before decisions are made. The film doesn't linger long enough to reveal what decisions are ultimately made. It doesn't even work too hard to explain the actual relationships between all of the characters, it only reveals their connectedness. The film is practically silent, but works lyrically toward a gentle poetry through its images. This is definitely not a film for all tastes. If you expect something, you will probably be disappointed, but if you expect nothing, you might be surprised.

The movie may only be 65 minutes long, but for some this can feel like an eternity. Add to that, that it "just" depicts normal life in the city. Although how normal is it, when it is about very young parents? Not to mention that there is almost no dialog. Nowadays most would be on their cell phone, back then (as if this is an old movie, I know), they did other stuff (like bike riding).

There is not a goal or something the movie seems to aim for. It just showcases a few individuals and what their life is like ... their days (a couple of them). Now that is nicely shot, but as said above, will not spike interest for too many. Those who are into this kind of movie will probably cherish it more than others though. So be aware of this and act or watch (or not) accordingly.