Mini-review of ‘A Ghost Story’

Another film to hate or love. “A Ghost Story” (2017) is streaming on Amazon Prime this month. It received mixed reviews on IMDB. This is not a horror film. The director demonstrates the passage of time in a series of mundane scenes about everyday life as witnessed by a ghost. One reviewer summed it up as “imagine a joke that takes 90 minutes to tell.” The ending is oddly satisfying, but this film is slow.

Having lost family members, I understood the expressions of grief as depicted by Rooney Mara. She is a talented actress that conveys strong emotion with small actions, but time is the star of this film. It dominates every scene. The trouble is time doesn’t have any lines. The dialogue (in English) is almost nonexistent except for one passionate monologue about the insignificance of man in the universe. Well, we’ve heard that before, dude.

The deceased husband (played by Casey Affleck) was a composer of electronic music. Too bad his music and time weren’t coupled throughout the film. I kept thinking about ambient videos, which I enjoy, and how the film could have experimented with that concept. Literally, it could have been a soundtrack of life. It’s a shame. The theme song is worth listening even if you skip the film (see below).

The film is shot from the perspective of the ghost and it offers one interpretation of the afterlife. I’ve often wondered what happens to a loved one after death. I’ve heard that sometimes, a ghost will remain when there’s unfinished business. Does the same thing happen when a film doesn’t quite reach its promise?

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