A Ghost Story

This is not a horror movie but since it does involve a ghost I decided to go ahead and watch this as part of Horrorweenathon.  Director David Lowery is a DFW local and has done many shorts and smaller films and got on board with Disney for last year’s Pete’s Dragon remake so I have been intrigued by this fellow just from the things I have read about him.  He did A Ghost Story shortly after he wrapped post-production on Pete’s Dragon as a way to wind down from working with the Disney machine and made this on a $100,000 budget which is impressive since it stars Casey Affleck and Mara Rooney.  Both stars previously worked with Crowley on Ain’t Them Bodies Saints so they all must enjoy each other’s company to come back and work for peanuts in Hollywood money terms.

This is a very cool movie about a man that gets killed and becomes a ghost and stays in the house while his wife moves on from the house as others come and go to it over a long period of time.  Before she left she leaves a small note in a crack in a wall.  This becomes the MacGuffin of the movie.  The ghost stays so long that the house is demolished for progress but the ghost continues to inhabit the space as an office building is built around him.  I guess you would say the ghost becomes disenchanted by this progress, jumps off the building and finds himself in a prairie land where a cowboy is setting up camp.  He has gone back in time.  He waits a really long time and finds himself back with his living self and his wife starting in the house all over again.  When the wife leaves again, we get to that MacGuffin.  Sort of.

This is a very much an art movie so some may find it boring and slow but I thought it was remarkable.  It is beautiful looking and has very long takes which is something I am always a fan of from movies of the 70s.  It is filmed in a very narrow 1:33 aspect ratio and it gives the movie and very claustrophobic feeling that keeps the ghost boxed in wherever he is at even though he can go wherever he wants.  This movie really makes you think about life after death.  I experienced a loss awhile back and I had to take care of that person’s estate and when I was over at their house it took me a long to get over the fact he was not there anymore.  It sure felt like he was there.  This movie is not for everyone so if you give it a spin try your best to give it a chance, sit back and truly enjoy it.