David Lowery is a filmmaker whose work I have enjoyed due to thenrestrained approach to his direction, his way of humanizing his characters and his sincere, honest approach to storytelling. Whether it be a small-scale story like Ain’t Them Bodies Saints or a commercial film like the recent Pete’s Dragon, his directorial and screenwriting touch is always apparent.
Now we have his third film, A Ghost Story. Despite what the title implies, the film is not part of the horror genre and it is more about existentialism, the afterlife and the concepts of time. And with Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara coming back for their second collaboration after Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, the film looks to be another top-notch film for Lowery. Or will it?
Casey Affleck plays a struggling musician (oddly named C) living with his wife, played by Rooney Mara (oddly named M) in a small suburban house. One night, they hear a heavy bang on their piano, but are unable to find the cause for the noise. Some time later, C is killed in a car accident outside his home. At the morgue, he awakens as a ghost covered in a white bedsheet with two black holes for eyes.
It is from there on that a connection is forged between the two that stretches beyond the boundaries of time and space and it is then that C ventures on a metaphysical journey.
Now, let’s get to the positives. Like every film that Lowery has made, the film is well-made, in terms of the mood and atmosphere (the understated execution of the scene where C is in a car crash is very well-handled) and the slow pace really adds to it.
Plus, the film is really well-shot. Through the cinematography by Andrew Droz Palermo, everything looks absolutely ethereal and yet, the aspect ratio (which is 1.33:1) gives it a claustrophobic feel that conveys the feelings of the leading character very well.
And also as expected, the performances from both Mara and Affleck are both quite good. Affleck does world-weary well, as he conveys the character’s struggles in an effective manner. As for Mara, she does a strong job in showing the character’s grief and sorrow and none of it is more apt than in the scene where her character eats a pie in a 5-minute long, unbroken take.
But unlike the pie, the film is much less filling. The minimalist approach is quite a double-edge sword for the film, and it unfortunately affects the characters. Mara and Affleck are understated actors to begin with, so when they are placed under this approach, it creates a pretty large void for the audience, in which they have nothing to empathize, particularly during the moments when the two leads are conversing with one another. The relationship isn’t really given enough time for the audience to latch on to, leaving them detached.
And since Affleck is under a white bedsheet for the majority of the running time (and believe me, anyone could’ve played the ghost role), it relies more on Mara for the lifting, but even then, she disappears for long stretches of time. On the contrary, since the film does touch on loneliness, the execution does make sense. But it ends up all for naught when watching the film for 90 minutes becomes a very drawn-out chore.
If the film was made in a short film format, then the potential of the story would have been satisfied, and would even do away with a second-act monologue that is so patronizing and pandering that it almost seems to exist just so people who fell asleep during the film would have a scene just for them to catch up with the proceedings. JUST IN THE CASE THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK AREN’T GETTING IT!
Despite the overlong, droning running time, the film concludes effectively, as it finally reaches fruition with all of the themes coalescing together for a satisfying and touching finale. But for many, it is too little, too late.
Overall, A Ghost Story is like one of the bedsheets in the film. It looks nice, it flows well, but there are some holes and major stains within.
Review Score: TWO AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
A Ghost Story is in cinemas today.
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