Review of Old Joy

With interest piqued by the presence of almost legendary musician Will Oldham (aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy / Palace / Palace Music), Old Joy attracts more attention than most low budget indie films. By Tom Rowe.

Screening in Temple Bar's IFI until 8 February, director Kelly Reichardt has produced an interesting, understated film, that leaves the audience thoughtful. With a run time of merely 76 minutes, most viewers will find it watchable, even those who cannot bear slow paced, meandering movies. 

The transition from musician to actor is not a smooth one for Oldham, whose initial scenes are awkwardly performed. That said, the film could be seen as study in awkward moments, as two friends, Kurt and Mark (Daniel London) go on a camping trip to visit hot springs in Oregon, in an effort to rekindle the friendship they once had.

Mark has embarked on the journey of adulthood; marriage, children, a mortgage. Kurt remains the loose living bohemian, traveling the US in search of fun and freedom. Mark has made commitments, while Kurt 'never got into anything [he] couldn't get [him]self out of'.

The melancholy resulting from the estrangement of friends is the simple theme of Old Joy. The characters are painfully realistic and recognisable. That Oldham would be attracted to such a screenplay is not surprising, as his lyrics often feature themes of friendship, love and loss.

Adapted from the short story, 'Old Joy', by Jonathan Raymond, this brief film is heavily atmospheric in in depictions of small town America and the wilderness of the North-West forests. A mellow score by Yo La Tengo and accomplished session musician Smokey Hormel add to the lonesome quality of the trip taken by the friends, whose estrangement is magnified by the beauty of the nature that surrounds them.  

Tom Rowe