This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 119! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey there, friends! 🌈
Today’s film chat: “A Ghost Story,” a 2017 film that’s equal parts hauntingly beautiful, mind-blowingly slow, and, well, let’s just say it’s not for everyone.
First off, let’s talk plot. The movie is, at its core, a hauntingly (pun intended) beautiful exploration of love, loss, and existence, all wrapped up in a visually stunning package. It stars Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara as a couple living a quiet life until tragedy strikes, and Affleck’s character becomes a ghost.
Now, here’s where things get weird (and kind of awesome): Casey’s ghost is literally a white sheet with two eyeholes. No fancy CGI, no ethereal glow, just pure sheet-ness. It’s both hilarious and strangely poignant, like a sad emoji come to life (and stuck in limbo). It’s like someone took the concept of a childhood ghost costume and thought, “Let’s make this into a profound cinematic experience.”
The film unfolds in long, silent stretches, punctuated by moments of bizarre beauty and quiet contemplation. We see Rooney’s character “M” grapple with loss, new relationships bloom and fade, and centuries pass in the blink of an eye (did I mention the time travel? Because, yeah, there’s time travel). It’s a heady mix of philosophy, existential dread, and the occasional chuckle.
But here’s the thing – I found the movie quite dull. 😴 Yeah, I said it. The idea behind it is intriguing, and there are moments that genuinely touched my heart. Yet, the pace… oh, the pace. It’s slower than a snail on a leisurely stroll. Like, glaciers-moving-on-molasses slow. I couldn’t help but feel that this could have been an epic short film. Squeezing it into a 90-minute feature felt like stretching a good, but thin, piece of taffy until it snaps.
Don’t get me wrong, there are parts of it that I really liked. The cinematography? Gorgeous. The exploration of themes like the passage of time and the essence of memory? It’s brilliantly done. The artistic merit is undeniable, and for some, this movie will hit all the right notes, like a perfectly tuned guitar.
But for me? It felt a bit like watching paint dry on a wall that’s already dry. However, amidst all the slow-moving scenes and existential pondering, there were nuggets of gold.
Now, I mentioned that this might have worked better as a short film and feel that some of the scenes could have been trimmed without losing the impact. But…upon contemplation, I think that maybe the length and pacing is kind of the point of the film. It forces you to slow down, to contemplate the vastness of time and the impermanence of life.
So yeah, “A Ghost Story” has its moments of beauty and brilliance. It’s a film that dares to be different, to explore grief and time in ways that are unconventional and, at times, profoundly moving. While it wasn’t my cup of tea, I can appreciate what Lowery was trying to do. It’s a reminder that art is subjective, and what resonates with one person might not with another. And that’s perfectly okay.
Peace out ✌️
Roger