A Ghost Story, written and directed by David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon-2016), starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, is slow to build but it stays with you. The movie covers love, loss, questions of existence and the after-life…before-life? It’s worth a watch. It pulls at your insides, but slowly…and gradually you are pulled into this world. It made me heavy-hearted. I am always pretty aware of how quickly life can change, but this movie goes beyond that. Its tagline is, “It’s all about time.” And it is. Emotionally, it’s a slow burn. But it’s worth it. Rooney Mara made me want to crawl through the screen and wrap around her. It shows how we deal with death alone. Eventually, we do. In the quiet moments, when everyone is gone, you are left with just yourself. This movie questions that, too.
If the movie seems too much for you, at least listen to the soundtrack. Here is the lovely, “I Get Overwhelmed” by Dark Rooms.
What got you to watch this movie? At first, it was the title. Then, after I watching the trailer, I was instantly curious. I enjoy Rooney Mara. I was intrigued by the visuals and the music really drew me in.
What kept you watching the film? Curiosity, really. It is filmed in such a unique way in the way it deals with time, that I wanted to understand the directors reasoning. The shots are long and stay with the character for minutes. The director seemed to want to really focus on “real time” in regards to watching someone mourn. I got to sit with Rooney and observe her without a quick cut to another scene. I appreciate when I get to sit with a moment instead of quickly being thrown into another scene and I’m unable to fully grasp the emotions of the character.
What emotional response did the film have on you? During…after? I felt the sadness in my gut and it haunted me throughout. It made me think about death in a different way. It also made me think about life in a different way, too. I still think about it!
Do you think this film has a specific demographic appeal? Not particularly. I do think that it will only appeal to those who are willing to go on the journey with the director. IT IS NOT FAST PACED BY ANY MEANS. So, it’s definitely not for anyone who hates a long build up.
Was the language use in the film appropriate/authentic? The LACK of language or dialogue played into the mystic quality.
**Was there anyone in the movie that you identified with at all? **The way the movie is set up, you are really just an observer. It’s not filmed in a way that really connects to the characters, themselves. You connect to the story as a whole and some of the lines cut straight to the heart. (The scenes in which two ghosts are communicating…are heartbreaking.)
Would you recommend this to anyone or to only certain friends? I would only recommend this to certain friends. This is not for everyone. If you love SLOW moving movies that make you think, then this one is for you. If you want to be really entertained…skip it.
Would you spend money to see this again? In a theatre/DVD/Streaming? I would if I were wanting to show it someone else. I’m not sure I would watch it alone again.
Is this a movie that you’d like to own? Yes, but only as a film geek–as it is an interesting study of filmmaking and storytelling. It would also be a great one to discuss.