Post FIT: George Washington

Dir. David Gordon Green
Star. Paul Schneider, Donald Holden

"down this twisted road, please watch over my soul and lift me up so gently so as not to touch the ground"

I have a really hard time defining the kind of movie David Gordon Green's debut film "George Washington" is. It's a still of frozen time, it's a voyeuristic look at the everyday lives of seemingly real people, it seems unscripted, everything about it just breaths and bleeds the grim and joyous beauty, reality and emotions of life.

The film follows the lives of several kids growing up in an economically depressed town in North Carolina. The kids experiences run the gamut of emotional touchstones most don't experience until they've lived their whole life through. They are hardened individuals, they are caring, they are brutally honest. The dialogue can be wonky, but endearing, and altogether incredibly poetic.

The only other filmmaker I can think of whose made films like this is Terrance Mallick, while watching "George Washington" I get the same chills I get while watching "Badlands," "The Thin Red Line" or "Days of Heaven." The two film makers have the uncanny ability to assault your senses while watching their films, your are immersed and mesmerized. I don't think there are many films or filmmakers who can make life and death blend so seamlessly into such a singularly beautiful fluid motion. This is definitely creeped its way into my all time favorites. Looking at Gordon Green's filmography and the direction its headed (ok I liked Pineapple Express quite a bit, but...), I doubt he'll come near to touching this level of work again.