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.
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