The difference between Old Joy and most other recent indies: it matches its rhythms and visuals to its story, rather than simply telling a story on film.
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10/19/06
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Old Joy (2006)
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Reviews Counted:82
Fresh:69
Rotten:13
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: A serene, melancholy beauty permeates this meditative portrait of deep friendship and faded glory.
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Reviews for Old Joy
Wise, resonant and genuinely special.
11/24/06
Top CriticA worthy attempt at a worthy topic.
11/28/06
... the dynamics shift from moment to moment. The beauty of the film is how director Kelly Reichardt brilliantly captures those moments with lucid simplicity.
06/04/06
Like a Raymond Carver story, it seems nothing much at first sight, but its crystallised moment reveals further dimensions the more you muse on it.
01/28/07
Strangely affecting given how little heft there is to it, but it does raise the question: At what point does minimalism begin to seem just plain stubborn?
09/21/06
Some movies say a lot by saying little; Old Joy seems content to just stay quiet.
02/02/07
An evocative and melancholy portrait of two men whose friendship has run its course.
03/29/06
Reichardt’s low-budget feature, shot in one weekend with a skeleton crew, quietly observes both men and passes judgment on neither. It’s a minimalist masterpiece.
03/09/07
We're embedded in the dampness of Reichardt's smoky forest, but not for long enough so we're lost like the pair.
10/28/06
Captures the weary mood of a generation that's crested its peak along with an era, quietly making a case for how well suited film can be to capturing the finer points of human interaction while preserving their mystery.
10/12/06
Top Critic...there's something about the mood of this film that grows on one.
10/01/06
...[long] languid interludes are little more than pretty filler for a film that runs a mere 73 minutes...
10/07/06
At just 76 minutes, Old Joy is a minimalist film, but illuminating, bittersweet, gentle and deeply alive.
01/18/07
Top CriticKelly Reichardt's film is a triumph of modesty and of seriousness that also happens to be one of the finest American films of the year.
09/19/06
Top CriticNotable for its visual beauty, its melancholic Yo La Tengo score and its subtle performances, it's an impressively understated and sensitively observed work.
01/26/07
In spite of the pacing, the movie is engaging. The actors deserve credit for making these characters guys you want to get to know.
04/24/06
You may find yourself asking whether anything's going to happen. But for those who can tolerate a slow-brewing movie, [director] Reichardt's work provides sufficient rewards.
03/09/07
Top CriticThe meditative and absorbing real-time pace suggests, and perhaps was inspired by, the cinema of Iran, and its hardscrabble aesthetic and minimalist production values.
01/12/07
Against a radiant backdrop of decay and rebirth, nothing needs to be said; everything in this lovely film is crystalline.
09/18/06
Top CriticLatest News for Old Joy
September 21, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Jackass" Kicks; "King" Is Dethroned; "Fearless" Is Action-Packed; "Flyboys" Is Grounded
This week at the movies, we've got antisocial behavior ("Jackass: Number Two," with Johnny Knoxville and the gang), hell-raising politicos ("All The King's... More...
August 24, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Invincible," "Worms" Score; "Idlewild," "Beerfest" Mixed
This week at the movies, we've got four underdog stories. An average Joe tries to play pro football ("Invincible," starring Mark Wahlberg), the new kid in school tries... More...
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