richardrossner

My husband and I watched Pearl the other night and found it beautiful to watch, even though the subject matter was darker than I expected. The first thought we had after watching the film was .... "poetry in motion." There was a touch of metaphysics in a graveyard scene near the end that brought in a few tears, along with a skosh of the spiritual and the unknown knowingness that there is a thread in life that is unseen, but often felt. Moments at those intersections help to recalibrate difficult, sometimes untenable emotions. We thought the director did a damn good job of dealing with trauma and tragedy in a unique way. We enjoy films that encourage us to look between the lines at what isn't being said.... Pearl did that for us. The light hand of music placed thoughtfully throughout was a beautiful choice. And Patti Scialfa's voice is angelic. We're embarrassed to say we had never heard its stand alone unique beauty before. The music and the lyrics touched us deeply. Good performances from the cast. Solid direction from the director.

Anthologies are a fun way to satisfy the current trend for shorter and shorter attention spans. This one tells a handful of stories about creepy people and disturbing situations. I found myself watching them the way I might polish off a bowl of potato chips. "I think I'll have another!" Then another, and another. Each story held the promise of entering an entirely new world with odd characters and circumstances. I was hooked! It reminded me of how I enjoyed Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone" when I a kid. I knew there were stories that I didn't want to watch, because they would be keep me up at night...yet I couldn't stop watching. Great sense of style. Good production values for this indie. Some very nice performances, as well. A lot of fun for a dark and stormy night.