Old Joy (2006)

No, this is not an example of a subtle film-making. It is an attempt to mask all the film-making idleness with pretense of meaning that exists everywhere but inside those sad 76 minutes (barely over the minimum for a feature).

And that time span is mostly filled with a meaningless b-roll, something that can easily be mystified into "thinking space for audience" - but unfortunately does little more than to show the incompetence for using those moments creatively. The rest (which could easily fit into a 20-30 min short, and would probably end up as such if edited by anybody other than director herself) consists of dialogs without any duty to really say anything. Little that we know about the characters isn't conveyed here either. The dialog only states their miscommunication.

I was left puzzled after watching, by the utmost absence of any kind of comment, or statement, or even a direction of thinking. So I went to hear what filmmakers have to say in the commentary bonus track on the DVD. To my further shocking disappointment, they have to say - nothing. I felt nobody there cared to say anything, nor did they say anything of any substance, and the "commentary" track runs quiet for 95% of the runtime.

Not only can I strongly state that reading the plot of this film here on IMDb will give you more than actually watching this film, but I have an equally definite and disturbing impression that the creators of this make-believe artifact never were nor will be able of making anything substantial or meaningful. Sorry.

The only thing bringing that 2nd star on are few interesting visual moments (things happen even in the boredom of the dentist waiting room), due to some nice camera compositions. Certainly not enough to sustain the interest and meaning more than 2 minutes in total.

Fmovies: Two old friends meet up to visit a hot spring out in the woods and spend a night camping out in Oregon. There's no incident or thrill to be found in this slight piece and the viewer's enjoyment depends as much on what they may bring to the film as to what the film delivers. We learn very little about the character's back-story and this allows the viewer to meditate on their own lost friendships and on life's small disappointments.

Old Joy is one of those films that celebrates the small moments in life; the transcendent beauty of nature, the sudden realisation that this is all there is. Old Joy feels like an old friend with its comfortable silences and gentle humour and its worth taking the trip with this film.

This is a movie where nothing at all happens. Surprisingly that's not a really bad thing. It is the story of a short dull road trip between two old friends. Two old friends that have nothing to say to each other.

Even though this movie is only about 70 minutes long, there is a still lot of filler. The filler is pretty and quiet in a mellow sort of way. Yo La Tengo's sparse soundtrack goes perfect with the lack of dialog and lack of action. Somehow it actually sort of works.

But I got a real sense of missed opportunity with this film. The filmmaker seems to have nothing to say. While amazingly well executed, there is no real depth to this film. Maybe that's the point. Even if, it felt like it needed more.

It is a nice film to watch if you find yourself in a mellow mood. It's like watching the scenery go by from a train. If you feel like a train ride, this is a pleasant one.

Old Joy fmovies. I had no idea what this film was about other then the short description in the Cable Guide. I anticipated smaller version of the buddy-film genre and figured if it wasn't worth watching it would get erased after 10 minutes. But I was drawn in within that first 10 minutes. Perhaps not everyone will understand the film, as some of the other comments posted here suggest. But if you have ever had a good friend and lost them to time this is a bittersweet retelling of that tale. It's true the dialog is sparse but that is because to make it more specific and verbose would not let the viewer blend what's happening in the film with what has happened in their own life, it would just be another impersonal film about others. To those of us who have been there, we are part of this film.

which is exactly what this film is supposed to be. Boring? Not a chance, unless of course you're a fan of what film has unfortunately become; chaotic cross cuts of meaningless images.

The soundtrack, the acting, the direction and scenery all add to this beautiful, intimate story about two friends trying to find solace in this chaos we call life.

Too many films today think high powered story lines, which generally equal meaningless dialogue make for an interesting film, which couldn't be farther from the truth.

It's about time we let film be film by allowing the images to tell the story.

Don't miss it. This is a nice, rare gem.

Everyone has been there, had a really close friend when growing up and somehow lost contact only to meet up years later to find that you have taken different paths and it's become a little awkward. You still have your past but as time has moved on you've grown apart. It's an age old story but in this instance told so beautifully against the backdrop of the Oregon woods. Mark (Daniel London) and Kurt (Will Oldham) are the old friends reunited in their weekend camping trip of walking, talking, smoking pot and drinking beer. Along with Mark's dog they venture into the lush forest to look for a set of natural springs that Kurt remembers from a few summers ago. The dynamism between the two characters is great and the casting of Oldham as the kind of drop-out figure against Mark's soon to be dad with his newly found family responsibility is perfect. The soundtrack is hauntingly complimentary to the camera work and overall style and its no surprise that it's done by Yo La Tengo a band known for their sweeping instrumental pieces and at times because the dialogue is so sparse it often feels like your watching one of their videos punctuated by spoken inserts, which is no bad thing. Essentially Old Joy is one of those films where not a lot really happens, there is amazing scenery, comical conversational sections, a moving if very light story about human nature and life and a kind of lament on lost friendships and strange unspoken love. At just over an hour this little American tale unfolds with an exquisite subtlety and not only is it a joy to watch, it also makes you feel kind of warm inside. What a brilliantly rare little movie.