Off the Black

Can someone tell me if I missed something, or was it never explained who the single mother was, her relationship to the Nolte character, who the father of her kid was, and what was the point of her being in the movie at all if none of the above is explained. Her scenes seem like pointless time or sex fillers. I was much impressed by the movie although the plot really left a whole lot unexplained: Nolte is at his 40th high school reunion, which would make everyone at the reunion about 58 and their graduation year one of the hottest in the Vietnam War, the protest movement, rock and roll and the sexual revolution. Yet not one person has anything to say or recall about these things, and the music seems generic, not at all in tune with the late "60s.

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

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.

The third time is the charm for James Ponsoldt, writer, director and actor in a really touching indie film that everyone can relate to. Maybe that is why it died at the box office after a few weeks without really making it big. It's a story that we can all find a piece of ourselves in.

Ray's life is in the crapper. he runs a junkyard by day and comes home to a house where he lives with an ugly dog and they both drown their sorrows in beer. He umps the local games and know that is just asking for trouble.

After the local team loses their chance at the State playoff, he catches one teen who papers his house. This teen's mom has run off and his day is pretty much dead to the world. The two- Ray and Dave - hit it off and Ray becomes a surrogate dad, while Dave becomes a surrogate son.

It's funny, tender, and sad. It will make you think about your own life and count your friends - or make some if you don't have enough.