Simple Men

Hartley has a wicked sense of humor, but this one felt like he was trying to be a little too creative. I started to lose interest around the dance scene; perhaps I was waiting for Mary (the Mother of God) to make a reappearance.

Despite all the talking in circles and surface philosophizing, these two guys really are simple: they want to be loved. The ending is a poignant call back to the first scene. Hartley's typical staginess functions as a distancing technique. It reminds me a bit of the way a master like Bresson elicits a distancing effect through formal means. Hartley's form differs, but the result is the same: we are forced to focus on character and situation, rather than be drawn in falsely by cinematic tricks.

One of my least favorite Harley films.

& Anıl

Most effective Hal Hartley movie for me so far, even if it loses steam in the third act. I need to find Henry Fool.

Mediocre Hartley effort.

Minimal and dry but charming, requires viewer to "read" not just watch.

I keep meaning to get into Hal Hartley, and I keep finding his films pleasant and occasionally brilliant but also far too artificial and theatrical for their own good. Great soundtrack as always, though.

Complete waste of time.

Far too "stagey" and pretentious to be interesting.

Deliberately deadpan and cliched, Hartley's quirky style can either irritate or illuminate via the weird turnings of his characters' lives.

Posing to look cool/cult...

There's no such thing as adventure, there's no such thing as romance. There's only trouble and desire.