A Ghost Story - Movie Review (9/10)

In anticipation for “The Green Knight'', I decided to watch David Lowery’s breakout hit, “A Ghost Story”. Going in, I was anticipating another new age horror film (an assumption, I admit, was based solely on the title), but what I got was a touching meditation on grief, loneliness, and memories – those made and those left to be made. I will try and highlight its qualities without spoiling anything, but this is honestly a film worth seeing without knowing an ounce of detail, something I am glad to have done. So, overall review: it's one of the most original films in recent memory that most will find to drone on about nothing much, but for those that can connect with the white ghost and his time bending journey, it will be an experience like nothing else. From now on I will attempt to talk about the details.

The plot revolves around the sudden death of C (Cassey Affleck) and his transformation into a ghost that wears a white sheet and observes his girlfriend, M (Rooney Mara) grieve and ultimately leave past the house they called home leaving a note in the wall that he struggles to find until the last moment of the film. He does not follow her – instead opting to be bound by the place he lived, something he is unable to move on from. Here, we spend the rest of the run time, watching the house he loves be occupied by other people, his connection to the living world weakening, as we follow C’s process of grief.

One of the first things I noticed about A Ghost Story is how quiet it was. Right from the get-go, you don’t feel as if you are watching a movie but something more akin to found footage. Like a camera that was left running accidently and managed to capture the realistic glimpse of life possible. This feeling is also captured by the presentation of the film: being shot in 1.33:1 with rounded edges that emulate old school photos and, in my opinion, enhances the “out-of-time” mood. There are lines of dialogue, of course, but for the most part it is so focused on showcasing grief that the few conversations we do hear feel so wrong. After C’s death, and his return to the house as the covered ghost, we get a scene where for almost 10 minutes, we watch M come home, look at a note, grab a pie, and then simply sit on the floor and eat it as tears slowly trickle down her face as C stands by watching her with us. Many have called out this scene as a pretentious bore fest (a criticism that has also been levied against the film as a whole), but to me, what it represents is a heart breaking and realistic portrayal of grief. It isn’t something dramatic or “cinema worthy” – it's slow, it's painful, and it lingers far longer than you want. So, if you felt that 10-minute sequence to be an hour long, congrats! You felt exactly what was intended. And when that realization came, there was no longer anything left to be bored by because I wasn’t looking for something to happen anymore – I was watching her and her alone, that dead look in her eyes, that slow chewing, and the trickles of water making they way down her cheeks.

On that matter, massive praise must be given to Lowery’s direction and the cinematography. The lighting and mood were fantastic, adding meaning to the blank stares that fill the film. And the jarring yet smooth transitions between the scenes added tremendously to the increasing loss of touch with the regular flow of time and gives a unique outlook to the afterlife. The music too was mind blowing. Though I enjoyed the visual storytelling, it wouldn’t have been able to touch me so deeply without the music’s help, with “The secret in the wall” being my favorite track. The piano and ambience evoke so much emotion inside and the soundtrack by itself can transport me back to my exact experience that night.

So, in the end, I come back to what I said before – watch this if you want an experience like nothing else. It's not for everyone – it's extremely slow and I honestly can’t defend against detractors because it's just something you are either on board with or not. But, if you do make it to the end credits, you will find it occupying your mind far longer than you intended it to.