Movies in 2026 225

 

Amateur (Hal Hartley, 1994)

As part of my goal of re-reading beloved books (Proust's In Search of Lost Time) and re-watching films (John Ford's The Searchers, etc.) before the big move so that I'll survive not initially bringing them, I gave another viewing to Hal Hartley's Amateur. It tells the story of Thomas, who has amnesia and is on a journey to regain his memory - with a lovely Hartley-esque scene wherein Thomas sits on a bench next to a kid reading the Odyssey. The kid explains the Odyssey to Thomas, who in turn gives him a nudie magazine. It's a classic Hartley moment, and a key one, as we discover that Thomas, pre-injury (he had been pushed out a window) was a very bad guy (although he never learns the whole truth, or, to paraphrase Hartley himself, the unbelievable truth). There are wonderful performances from Hartley regulars from Martin Donovan (as Thomas), Eline Lowensohn (as Sofia), and Damian Young (as Edward), although the film is stolen by Isabelle Huppert (her appearance in the film says everything that you need to know in regards to how Hartley is beloved by true professionals - although now he usually crowd sources funds for his movie - from me included, happily - because we live in a nation of idiots). She plays Isabelle, an ex-nun who describes herself as a nymphomaniac, although she's a virgin. It features a typically wonderful Hal Hartley ending ("Yes . . . I know this man."). It's not my favorite of his films, but, like all Hal Hartley films, it is essential viewing.

Movies in 2026 224

 

Travellers and Magicians (Khyentse Norbu, 2003)

What, another Bhutanese movie? The Criterion Channel is featuring a collection of Khyentse Norbu films, and the other night I watched Travellers and Magicians. It tells the story of Dondup, a local official, who is fixated on leaving his tiny village and going to America, and his slow and halting journey to make it out of Bhutan. It is chock full of beautiful pictures of Bhutan, and, not surprisingly, you get the idea that in the end he won't go, although the movie doesn't take that simple Wizard of Oz approach. Dondup is played by Tshewang Dendup, who I believe is the only professional actor in the movie. While watching the film I kept thinking about how much more satisfying this film about an epic journey was than Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Norbu himself is a fascinating character, being, in addition to a filmmaker, also a Tibetan Lama and a writer. Highly recommended.

A Bear - Finally

 I really need to get this down for posterity before I completely forget: a couple weeks ago I finally saw a bear.  I was driving up County Road, probably about a mile from out cabin, when I saw a young bear loping across the road (as bears do). This was the first time in my twenty-six years living in Vermont that I had seen a bear. It's not like I've had much better luck with moose, having seen four total, and none in the last twenty years, but bears had remained utterly elusive. Sadly, I have no pictures of the beastie to post, although it would have probably ended up playing itself out like the end of  Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man. 

Movies in 2026 223

 

Ride in the Whirlwind (Monte Hellman, 1966)

Obviously, not every film that I watch on the Criterion Channel ends up being one that I love, or even like for that matter. Last night I watched Monte Hellman's 1966 Ride in the Whirlwind, which is featured in this month's Harry Dean Stanton collection. I suppose now it's mainly known for co-starring a young Jack Nicholson, who also wrote the screenplay and co-produced it. The film is a western that is sort of about mis-placed justice/vengeance, but it's also pretty muddled. If you're a Jack Nicholson or Harry Dean Stanton - or Millie Perkins or Cameron Mitchell - completist, you might check it out. Otherwise, you would be better off watching William Wellman's 1943 The Ox-Bow Incident (starring Henry Fonda and Dana Andrews), which is a much better exploration of vigilate justice.

Movies in 2026 222

 

Theory of Achievement (Hal Hartley, 1991)

The other short on the Surviving Desire DVD was Hartley's 1991 Theory of Achievement, which definitely felt like a Hal Hartley movie, with the quick banter, seemingly random conversation loops, and beloved actors who appear throughout his films: Bill Sage, Elina Lowensohn, and Mark Chandler Bailey. It's a reflection on art and wealth and class, all through a very Hartley lens. You should check it out.

Movies in 2026 221

 

Ambition (Hal Hartley, 1991)

I also took the opportunity to watch a couple early Hal Hartley shorts, which were included on the Surviving Desire DVD. In a previous post I raised the question of why I don't watch more short films, including from directors I already love, and so I'm trying to explore more of them. Ambition, which stars George Feaster, Hannah Sullivan, and Rick Groel) tells the story of a young artist who aims for success but mainly ends up in random (appropriately comical, this is Hartley after all) fights. It's interesting to see Hartley working through themes that he would revisit much more successfully later in his career.

Movies in 2026 220

 

Surviving Desire (Hal Hartley, 1992)

As I've discussed, one of my challenges is determining what books and movies I bring with me to Sicily, especially on these early days (made more pressing because we're, apparently, going to be stuck in a tiny one bedroom for at least the first six months, but that's an aggravation for another day). Eventually, I'd love to have most of my books and movies, but I don't see that happening for a long time (probably more than I actually have left). Anyway, I definitely want to bring a few of my Hal Hartley DVDs, because he tends to not show up on the Criterion Channel very often, and, more importantly, because his films simply give me a lot of joy. The other night I watched one of my all-time favorites, Hartley's 1992 film Surviving Desire. It was released in the middle of his Long Island Trilogy (The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men), and shares many of the same themes - and actors - as those classic films. It also features an impromptu dance number, clearly an homage to Godard's Band of Outsiders, which sets the stage for the Hartley unexpected dance number in Simple Men. Martin Donovan plays a disinterested college professor (Jude) who falls for one of his students (Mary B. Ward as Sofie, clearly a play on the Sophia, the Greek word for wisdom), but, because it's Hartley, it transcends this well worn trope and ends up as a funny and thoughtful rumination on the folly of love and desire. As his friend Henry (Matt Malloy) warns him, "You won't survive her," to which Jude responds, "I don't think I want to." It was great to see Rebecca Nelson, who was so good in Trust, in a memorable role as a woman stopping people on the street to ask them to marry her (she may be the only sane person in the film). Surviving Desire includes one of my favorite opening scenes, where Jude keeps re-reading a paragraph of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. They spend weeks on it, leading to the students losing their minds throwing things at him, which results in him throwing things back at them (any student who ever had me in class would appreciate that). The last scene, with Sofie, working in a bookstore, quietly asking people obliviously moving around her if she can help them, is brilliant. Absolutely essential viewing.