Khubi is a consummate artist, and this film has the spare elegance of a handcrafted masterpiece. Gorgeous location shots (in New Jersey, no less!), meticulously layered sound and powerful, understated performances give The Acceptance the austere beauty of a piece of Shaker furniture, a reminder of what art can look like when people take the time to find the beauty in simple materials. It's a "difficult" film in the sense that it doesn't simply tee up emotional payoffs for the audience to knock over. Like the heroine, we are set upon the hard road of broken relationships, loss, and betrayal, and the only guide is what we learn by looking inward as we go along. Much as with Khubi's cinematic heroes like Buñuel, the story here is lyrical and meditative, and more than a little eerie, but never didactic or informative. At the same time it is rich with real, actual life and beauty in a way few films are. You've never looked at Jersey quite this way before! By way of disclosure, Khubi has been a friend of mine for many years. No special insight, but I know it was a grueling project. I'm glad the final result is so beautifully realized.
