It's a compelling character study with the formal invention and editing acumen that are Workman's forte.
House on a Hill (2003)
Theatrical Release: Nov 14, 2003 Limited
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Philip Baker Hall, Shirley Knight, Laura San Giacomo
Reviews
Combines an intermittently lyrical soundtrack with a relentlessly theoretical visual style to fashion an amiable fable.
While it's clear that Workman is fascinated by the subject matter, that turns out to be the primary problem: He gets so wrapped up in creating the structure that he forgets to put much of anything inside.
Ultimately has a somewhat unfinished quality that complements the movie's themes -- and Hall's haunting performance.
The film is full of artists who seem to be straddling the line between compromise and conviction. There is much straddling in A House on a Hill, and not enough engagement.
Content and style dovetail superbly in this offbeat drama, where images continually change in size and shape, evoking the story's message that human experience is always a pathway, not a destination.
Workman's autumnal character study may be the most sagacious cinematic dancing ever done about architecture.


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