Amateur

Rating:
Summary: Who is "this man?"
Review: "Do you know this man?" During the opening scene of AMATEUR "this man" finds himself sprawled out on a cobblestone road outside an apartment building in New York. After recovering, he'll find that his fall from a second floor window has deprived him of his memory, and in an amnesiac haze he'll stumble into a diner where a self-professed nymphomaniac ex-nun (who is still a virgin 15 years removed from the convent) and wanna-be writer of smut, will adopt him as part of what she believes to be a mission from God - her calling. The more she finds out about "this man's" unseemly past the deeper she finds herself immersed in a web of blackmail and violence, with a former porn actress and three accountants, two of which are assassins. Is "this man" the sum of all the facts that we have gleaned from others? Is "this man" really the vicious monster that his ex-wife and former business associate claim? Is "this man" the same man since he has lost his memory? Does anyone really know anyone? In AMATEUR every character is running away - unsuccessfully - from their identities and desperately trying to reinvent themselves and escape from a past that continues to haunt them. An original, quirky film that is difficult to categorize - black comedy? Suspense thriller?

Rating:
Summary: Pure Hartley
Review: A chance encounter in a coffee shop between two people, both of whom are seeking their own identities (one literally, one figuratively), leads to a relationship seemingly beneficial to both, but for different reasons, in "Amateur," written and directed by Hal Hartley. A man (Martin Donovan) wakes up one morning lying on his back in a quiet, out-of-the-way street in New York City; all he knows is that he's bleeding from the back of his head and is suffering from total amnesia. He has no identification on him; he has no idea who he is or how he came to be on that street. Dazed, he stumbles into a small coffee shop and sits down at the counter. He tries to order something, but the only money he has is Dutch, and he has no idea why. A young woman, also sitting at the counter and working on a lap-top computer, observes his plight and notices the blood on the back of his neck.

Her name is Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert); asking for some water, she cleans his injury and buys him something to eat. Isabelle, it turns out, is a former nun, having only recently left the convent after fifteen years. Rather lost herself, she is attempting to make a living by writing pornographic stories for a magazine. A self-professed nymphomaniac (though she is still a virgin), she also feels that she has a specific purpose in life, a destiny she has yet to fulfill, though she has yet to figure out what it is. But she believes that meeting this man is a sign; perhaps he's a part of whatever it is she has to do. So she decides to help him, which just may lead her to the answers she is seeking about her own life, as well.

As with all of Hartley's films, this one has a somewhat mesmerizing effect, which he exacts with a unique style of presenting his story that has to do with the look and feel of the film, the deliberate pace he establishes, and most especially the manner in which his actors deliver their lines. His performers speak with a rather stoic, matter-of-fact, understated rhythm that is engrossing in itself, very similar to the kind of cadence David Mamet employs in his films. But Hartley's method is even more pronounced, so that when one of his characters does have an emotional outburst, the underplaying that surrounds it significantly underscores the impact of it all.

Few directors have such a unique style that so vividly identifies their work; Mamet is one, Ingmar Bergman another (the three of them being part of a very select group). And though this particular film is not, perhaps, one of Hartley's best, it is still pure Hartley, with aspects that are certainly engaging and memorable, beginning with his main character, Isabelle. Talk about an off-the-wall character! And yet, within the context of the story, she comes across as quite real and believable, which says something about Huppert's ability as an actress, as well as Hartley's expertise as a director.

Huppert gives a very credible performance here, convincingly conveying that sense of confusion Isabelle obviously harbors deep within about her own life and where she's headed. She makes you realize that beyond anything else that's happening, this is essentially a person searching for a place to fit in, which is why she makes such a connection with this stranger, this man who really has no idea of who he is or where he belongs. And Huppert certainly makes Isabelle someone with whom it is easy to empathize.

Donovan, a veteran of many of Hartley's films, is very effective here also, with a very pensive, understated performance that clearly indicates an honest sense of this man's bewilderment, as does the very real caution with which he approaches his situation as he attempts to reorient himself and get on with his life. And Hartley develops the relationship between Isabelle and this man in real time-- there's no instant love affair here, as happens so often in cinematic renderings of similar situations-- which gives a ring of authenticity to the story, bizarre as it may get.

The supporting cast includes Elina Lowensohn (Sofia), Damian Young (Edward), Chuck Montgomery (Jan), Dave Simonds (Kurt) and Pamela Stewart (Officer Melville). No one can capture a sense of disenfranchisement any better than Hartley, as the characters in "Amateur" so aptly illustrate; these are people perpetually on the outside looking in, and yet there's something about them with which you will be able to relate, as well as sympathize . And that's part of Hartley's magic; making you realize, that in the end we're not so different from one another, after all.

Rating:
Summary: Hal Hartley shines and captivates
Review: Amateur captivates with its witty, realistic, no-bars hold takeon life in the porn lane. The two anti-heros, one a writer of adultfiction - the other a pimp and film-maker (adult film that is) with amnesia begin a rocky affair after she meets him in a breakfast cafe. While the characters unravel, the love story does too. All of a sudden the film takes on new dimensions moving into a psychological thriller arena. Pulsing but extremely quirky, Amateur blossoms with subtle sarcasm and tragedy that really shines. And on top of it all, it plays hilariously. You'll laugh as you slowly become depressed over the heart-wrenching experiences the characters live out. If you're sick of blow-up thrillers and action-packed blockbusters, rent this video on a Friday night, turn out the lights and discover a director who really knows how to capture the true spirit of humanity. END

Rating:
Summary: Hal Hartley shines and captivates
Review: Amateur captivates with its witty, realistic, no-bars hold takeon life in the porn lane. The two anti-heros, one a writer of adultfiction - the other a pimp and film-maker (adult film that is) with amnesia begin a rocky affair after she meets him in a breakfast cafe. While the characters unravel, the love story does too. All of a sudden the film takes on new dimensions moving into a psychological thriller arena. Pulsing but extremely quirky, Amateur blossoms with subtle sarcasm and tragedy that really shines. And on top of it all, it plays hilariously. You'll laugh as you slowly become depressed over the heart-wrenching experiences the characters live out. If you're sick of blow-up thrillers and action-packed blockbusters, rent this video on a Friday night, turn out the lights and discover a director who really knows how to capture the true spirit of humanity. END

Rating:
Summary: TYPICAL HAL HARTLEY BRILLIANCE
Review: Another overlooked Hal Hartley gem with Martin Donovan playing an amnesia victim who is nursed to health by a nymphomaniacal virgin nun played by French actress Isabelle Huppert. Huppert is superb as the contradictory runaway nun who is trying to adapt to life outside the convent. Donovan, with amnesia and all, is confused anyhow, but also cannot understand how a nun can be a self-professed nymphomaniac without ever having had sexual relations. Huppert's nun is anxious to shed herself of her virginity and many times wants to do so with Donovan, but circumstances keep preventing them. I have not seen this movie in quite some time, but I recall that it is classic Hal Hartley, with a cast of wicked and crazy characters in unbelievable situations. Donovan's amnesia patient begins to learn that he was not such a nice guy in his pre-amnesia days as more characters come into focus and more things happen. Huppert stands by him nevertheless. Donovan pays for whatever is coming to him in the end, but not before Huppert manages to declare her love for him.

Rating:
Summary: Not your typical movie
Review: Hartley is a genious when it comes to getting to know the human heart and the problemas of our times, this movie despite it's title is a deep work into the necesity of redemption and understanding of oneself, the cast and the music makes this film one of true discovery. I have seen all his films and possible the Book of life could be better somehow, this is still one of his best movies yet. If you are fan of radical and challenging movies this could be the one film that will leave you thinking.

Rating:
Summary: The mark of Hal (Hartley)
Review: Here's the trademark Hartley quirkiness that fuses bullets with uncertainty, a fried-brain accountant and two sexy women, semi-stagey dialogue and neatly dressed corporate hit men. Here's Parker Posey in a small role, Michael Imperioli (of The Sopranos) in a smaller one, and Martin Donovan as the amnesiac lead male who gets involved with Isabelle Huppert's character, an ex-nun who's turned to writing porno fiction--unfortunately, bad enough to make her publisher reject her work.

And here's Elina Lowensohn as well as a porno actress who wants out of her tawdry (though well-paying) life, whose sad eyes and possible death wish clash with her overly sensuous demeanor. How can all these disparate elements, you ask, ever possibly blend into a whole?

An excellent question. In Hartley's film, they do and they don't. Nobody really knows anything for sure; everyone here is an amateur at life, trying to figure out what to do next--or not knowing how to do anything next. Thomas (Martin Donovan's character) can't remember his name or what he did in the past. Isabelle (Huppert's character) knows intuitively she's linked to Sofia (Elina Lowensohn's role) but she doesn't know how. The accountant, Edward (Damian Young) seems self-assured until he has his brains fried and then he's completely unpredictable.

There's shooting and torture and a little love making. There's uncertainty or puzzlement around every corner. We never really know a whole lot, Hartley's saying, and because of that, you could, in fact, meet a porno-loving ex-nun. You could be an accountant whose neat orderly life is scrambled into violent outbursts and uncontrollable behavior. You could wind up becoming a man who doesn't remember his name and makes some effort to find out what it is, but not enough to discover it.

So is this a coherent film? Hartley is interested more in character than coherence. Structure is not as important as how people actually impact each other, how they impinge on each other's lives. It is, he says, this random colliding of personalities that determines what will happen; people are so complex and so full of possibilities that things just...happen as a result of them being brought together.

Once the viewer accepts this perspective, everything falls into place. Or randomly shifts into place--falling here, rising there, making a jagged turn when you least expect it.

This is less satisfying than Hartley's masterpiece Henry Fool, but it is nevertheless a very intriguing film and definitely worth seeing.

Rating:
Summary: The mark of Hal (Hartley)
Review: Here's the trademark Hartley quirkiness that fuses bullets with uncertainty, a fried-brain accountant and two sexy women, semi-stagey dialogue and neatly dressed corporate hit men. Here's Parker Posey in a small role, Michael Imperioli (of The Sopranos) in a smaller one, and Martin Donovan as the amnesiac lead male who gets involved with Isabelle Huppert's character, an ex-nun who's turned to writing porno fiction--unfortunately, bad enough to make her publisher reject her work.

And here's Elina Lowensohn as well as a porno actress who wants out of her tawdry (though well-paying) life, whose sad eyes and possible death wish clash with her overly sensuous demeanor. How can all these disparate elements, you ask, ever possibly blend into a whole?

An excellent question. In Hartley's film, they do and they don't. Nobody really knows anything for sure; everyone here is an amateur at life, trying to figure out what to do next--or not knowing how to do anything next. Thomas (Martin Donovan's character) can't remember his name or what he did in the past. Isabelle (Huppert's character) knows intuitively she's linked to Sofia (Elina Lowensohn's role) but she doesn't know how. The accountant, Edward (Damian Young) seems self-assured until he has his brains fried and then he's completely unpredictable.

There's shooting and torture and a little love making. There's uncertainty or puzzlement around every corner. We never really know a whole lot, Hartley's saying, and because of that, you could, in fact, meet a porno-loving ex-nun. You could be an accountant whose neat orderly life is scrambled into violent outbursts and uncontrollable behavior. You could wind up becoming a man who doesn't remember his name and makes some effort to find out what it is, but not enough to discover it.

So is this a coherent film? Hartley is interested more in character than coherence. Structure is not as important as how people actually impact each other, how they impinge on each other's lives. It is, he says, this random colliding of personalities that determines what will happen; people are so complex and so full of possibilities that things just...happen as a result of them being brought together.

Once the viewer accepts this perspective, everything falls into place. Or randomly shifts into place--falling here, rising there, making a jagged turn when you least expect it.

This is less satisfying than Hartley's masterpiece Henry Fool, but it is nevertheless a very intriguing film and definitely worth seeing.

Rating:
Summary: Very weird, very cool
Review: I cannot think of a better director/screenwriter & actor combination than Hartley & Donovan (respectively). As with his other films, Hartley showcases an offbeat, yet deadpan, approach to dialogue and physical expression. Combine this with the odd story and tangental sideshows, and what you'll end up with is one delightfully strange film. Hartley also shows a gift for finding talented - yet largely unknown - actors (at least to the general American audience at large). Martin Donovan (the amnesiac) has collaborated with Hartley in the past (most successfully, I feel, in *Trust*), and theirs is a team that works well. Donovan's presence, combined with an expression that requires little movement to shift from irritation to affection to confusion, makes him perfect for the largely deadpan stylings of Hartley's writing and direction. Isabelle Huppert, the esteemed French actress, makes her American screen debut in this film. A superb performer, she contributes to the near-minimalist character tonalities by displaying the largest range of emotions without breaking the carefully set mood of the film. Elina Lowensohn and the rest of the cast also give strong performances. Another notable shift in this film from previous Hartley productions is the improvement in music. While a wonderfully comedic film, *Amateur* is definitely not a film for the masses. The humor and storyline are both odd enough to leave most anyone thinking, "Huh?" for at least part of the film, but such questions and queries are generally answered five minutes later. Certainly one that rates second and third viewings, *Amateur* is delightful movie.

Rating:
Summary: Very weird, very cool
Review: I cannot think of a better director/screenwriter & actor combination than Hartley & Donovan (respectively). As with his other films, Hartley showcases an offbeat, yet deadpan, approach to dialogue and physical expression. Combine this with the odd story and tangental sideshows, and what you'll end up with is one delightfully strange film. Hartley also shows a gift for finding talented - yet largely unknown - actors (at least to the general American audience at large). Martin Donovan (the amnesiac) has collaborated with Hartley in the past (most successfully, I feel, in *Trust*), and theirs is a team that works well. Donovan's presence, combined with an expression that requires little movement to shift from irritation to affection to confusion, makes him perfect for the largely deadpan stylings of Hartley's writing and direction. Isabelle Huppert, the esteemed French actress, makes her American screen debut in this film. A superb performer, she contributes to the near-minimalist character tonalities by displaying the largest range of emotions without breaking the carefully set mood of the film. Elina Lowensohn and the rest of the cast also give strong performances. Another notable shift in this film from previous Hartley productions is the improvement in music. While a wonderfully comedic film, *Amateur* is definitely not a film for the masses. The humor and storyline are both odd enough to leave most anyone thinking, "Huh?" for at least part of the film, but such questions and queries are generally answered five minutes later. Certainly one that rates second and third viewings, *Amateur* is delightful movie.