Off the Black

I recently rented Off the Black and was pleasantly surprised how good it was considering it had not gotten much recognition in media coverage or advertisements. I find it to be another quality independent film that unfortunately seemed to slip under the radar or fall through cracks. Not only is it a finely directed tale from first time director James Ponsoldt, but the acting performances by Nolte, Morgan, and Hutton are stellar. One might expect such performances by the veterans Nolte and Hutton, but the way Morgan held his own scene for scene with these icons shows his versatility and promise as a coming of age actor soon to be recognized by all as a talented force. I thought he looked familiar so after investigating I realized he was in Mean Creek and also had a fairly long list of credits, including starring opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Rumor of Angels (another great film and another fine performance for Morgan). I am looking forward to seeing Pondsoldt's next film and the what the future holds for Morgan!

Here's my disclaimer: I am related to someone involved in the film, so I'm not completely unbiased. Having said that, I saw the preview at Sundance and I thought it was a great movie. The beginning really conveys a sense of how painfully disconnected and lacking direction Dave Tibble (Trevor Morgan) is. As the film progresses Ray Cook (Nick Nolte), in contrast to Dave's father (Timothy Hutton), shows Dave that whether or not you are completely successful the only way to really live life is to engage with its issues, without self-pity. The cast was all excellent, especially Nick Nolte; he was awesome in in this role. The conclusion of the film is bittersweet yet hopeful.

I enjoyed this movie. Nick Nolte gives his all and Trevor Morgan, as his reluctant protégé, gives a nuanced performance. Above all, I found OFF THE BLACK believable. The premise is a bit unlikely, but the actors are up to the challenge and the director knows where to take the story. It's not an expose of rural life, but it's not an exercise in sentiment, either. There are no set-pieces, one-liners or explosive confrontations, but there are truths. This is not one of these movies which focus so much on the negative as to numb the viewer. (I can name about ten movies in the last five years which do that.) But it does insist that life isn't perfect. The world of movie distribution isn't perfect either, which is why this didn't appear at the multiplex. But the DVD is there. Grab it.

As well as being a poignant tale about the difficultly of connecting and understanding different generations, this sensitive portrayal of small-town life is also a master class in understated acting; the young lead, Trevor Morgan, holds his own in tandem with the quietly dynamic performances of Nick Nolte and Timothy Hutton, both playing damaged adults carrying long-term hurts not easily assuaged. Nolte commits himself totally as a present-day baseball umpire who could not effectively stay with a marriage, and whose past as a Vietnam veteran engaged in battle produced results that haunt him; his initially grudging connection with a local youth who also lacks direction works perfectly in this small-scale but highly believable drama

Off the Black (2006)

A heartfelt, small film with two big performances. Nick Nolte certainly plays a role here as a troubled, unhealthy, good-hearted man that many might think is the real Nick Nolte, judging from the media. He's an umpire for high school baseball games, and he loves the game, and the kids, but he's such a curmudgeon and a drunk no one realizes his devotion. This drives him to seclusion and sadness.

A couple of chance events combine to get him in sync with a young pitcher, played with real charm and ease by Trevor Morgan who has been very active as a low profile child actor (including a role in "The Sixth Sense"). So this odd pairing of a flailing older man and a lonely and yearning 17 year old is about how people need each other and come to help each other even when they don't quite know why.

The story, by director James Ponsoldt, is interesting enough to keep you engaged, if not wholly convinced. It does follow some clichéd paths of conflict and resolution, including a little sentimentality, but it works. What really holds it all together, though, is Nolte. At first you think he's overplaying, then maybe (oddly) underplaying (since you might think it's just Nolte being Nolte). But there is a lot of subtlety to his movements and his face, and real feeling. It's worth seeing for him, if you are the type to enjoy that kind of specific appreciation.

It's also enjoyable in other ways, including a series of rather searing if brief appearances by Timothy Hutton. Good stuff, if not especially original or brilliant in the larger sense.