jwiffy

Hannah Takes The Stairs has poor production values, a slow pace, boring locations, and no actors you have ever heard of, and that's what makes this film so special. This is clearly a film made by a group of friends and artists, exploring their lives and the art of film-making simultaneously. It's simplistic rawness allows for an honest, and at times voyeuristic tone that examines the simple difficulties of young people learning to make grown-up decisions. This film is certainly not for everyone, but if you can forgive the ultra-low budget blemishes it is very worthwhile. In many ways, Hannah Takes the Stairs is the future of film-making that Francis Ford Coppola predicted in Hearts of Darkness.

I saw this film at Sundance a couple years ago but just recently saw it again on DVD. It is a beautiful short film that does a good job of walking the fine line of irony. The film comes across as an art history educational film that makes the argument that the blocks of paint left over by city graffiti removal crews is in fact a very important art movement. It's pretty funny and will draw laughs, but the cinematography and tone insure that it's not just some tongue-in-cheek mockumentary. The filmmaker does a good job of hinting that it's a joke, but then proving that the blocks of paint really are interesting to look at.

The might be a little too long, and it's obviously very low-budget, but it's a brilliant piece that's easy on the eyes and worth checking out.