Review of "A Ghost Story"

I ended up seeing "A Ghost Story" today at Sundial in St. Pete. Guys, it's good. It's not horror or action -- it is seriously drama and metaphysical ideology. I'm a para-snob, apparently, because I can't take the horror of most movies which are designed to induce fear. I dislike feeling fear -- life is too short for that. This movie is not fearful -- it's human. It's artistic. It's intriguing. It's worth seeing.

Be aware, though that "A Ghost Story" is intense, even though it's "only" 93 minutes long. You do have to pay attention but it's not a laborious task. I do know that the entire theater was incredibly quiet -- no one spoke and even the slightest rusting could be heard. Try not to fidget too much -- remember that the film relies on sounds and acting, weaves together a variety of experiences, and creates a really decent plot.

For a paranormalist, the most interesting part was that of the ghost. He does not really speak so everything is pretty much inferred by movement, observation, and action. The ghost is in the liminal state to the truest level of the definition. It perceives time very differently than we do. It kind of explains how ghosts are active at times and not at others -- this ghost is intent on a task that draws his attention for part of the movie. Time is fluid around him and certainly shifts faster as the film goes on.

Visually, the film is not complicated. The ghost walks around in a sheet, like the old Charlie Brown Halloween specials show. There is at least one other ghost in the film -- pay attention to her. I think the covering or "skin" of the ghost is an interesting statement. Items that are touched upon include telepathy, contact, the brush between the living and the dead, telekenesis/poltergeist activity, time loops, death of a ghost, and release.

It will seem to get a little long in parts (I think we are so trained for action/adventure/bad plots/explosions that the gentle plots are tedious). I left the theater completely unstressed (which is great and not always the case). Seriously....it is worth a visit to watch it. I'd say maybe once, no more than twice, but it's worth it. I was really pleasantly surprised.