Wednesday, June 19, 2013
NIGHT MOVES
Today's film was the NYTimes Critics' Pick documentary by Bill and Turner Ross (brothers and maybe twins)
The Ross brothers grew up in New Orleans and by all evidence of them as adults (in the making of film) they ran all over and have memories that are fixed in a child and then young boy's mind.
They enlisted two brothers from nearby Algiers to be in a film that would set them in many of the places the Ross brothers remembered and they let them run free. In the process, the younger brother tagged along and was so chatty they made it three brothers and, as it turns out, the mouthy one ends up being the narrator.
Night time cinematography is quite different than day. An obvious point but not so much as to see a film made all at night that is also equalized as to light and mood. Very hard. High variations in the locales make this almost impossible. Also, on the streets, sound is an issue.
The Ross boys seem to have conquered this because the beauty of the film is continuous. The mood is all urban joy ride (it is NO after all) and serene quiet river views.
The boys are great. The editing is terrific. The scenes themselves surprise. Sometimes the camera goes where the boys could not (backstage at a burlesque show, tits and ass on display or a gay bar with the requisite gays) so there is a bit of legerdemaine in the action.
Oh. The boys bring their dog. A fourth. Really nice. They get marooned and miss the last ferry home so we get a full night in the town.
I liked it a lot. Novel. Enjoyable. Never a dull moment. A 4 out of Netflix5. I would be more than happy to play it again. Anytime. Right now?
Tchoupitoulas is the name of a street in the city. Tipitina's, the famous restaurant is at the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Napoleon.
Also, the "making of film is crazy. My guess they were told to do one and they have but it is a string of foolishness by the brothers and friends which is as much fun as the big feature itself. Don't miss it.
Labels: films
