“A Ghost Story” Simultaneously Enchants and Frustrates

A24 is the boldest production company I can think of in many ways, if not all of them. They have released some of the most challenging and unique films since they have been operating starting 2013 — The Witch, Moonlight, Ex Machina, Room, 20th Century Women, American Honey, and It Comes at Night, to name several good examples. Now, A24 has also released A Ghost Story which is a very bold movie and a very unique production. For me, it was too opaque and frustrating and it likely will be for many “common” audiences. But at the same time, I was enthralled and hypnotized by David Lowery’s filmmaking in so many ways. I will say this, if you’re into cerebral films and one’s that demand a lot of patience, A Ghost Story is worth the visit. In fact, this is a movie that many people should see because it is such a unique experience. My fellow audience was less than impressed (less impressed than I was), but I must give at least a slight recommendation for the film because it left me thinking a LOT.
The story is simple — a guy (Casey Affleck, who spends much of the movie with a white sheet draped over his head) dies, and refuses to move on to the afterlife (I think?). He remains in the house with his wife (Rooney Mara), watching her, and this leads onto a journey throughout time. The reason why this frustrated me so much was because it was too wordless. I suppose this is partially an unfair complaint. Dunkirk, for example, is often wordless. However, here, the story is almost entirely visual. There is very little dialogue. There are incredible long takes that last for what seem like an eternity as we simply observe characters in action. These characters often do very “normal” things, and we basically act as ghosts, just like Casey Affleck, and we feel the enormity of time as he does by just watching. It’s brilliant in many ways, but frustrating in others. Lowery wants, obviously, to challenge the viewer by telling the story entirely through what you see — like the ghost of Casey Affleck’s character, who can do nothing but observe. Being only able to observe silence is almost maddening, But this is also why the film transfixes and hypnotizes the viewer and really gets you thinking despite it being frustrating. For me, I felt like I was watching a different film than what critics were saying because I was not used to this. I kept wondering if I missed something. I’m sure many audiences and critics aren’t used to this kind of filmmaking anyways, but maybe I just wasn’t the intended audience. Still, Lowery succeeds at making you think and contemplate what he intends, so he deserves a crap-ton of credit for making this bold, unique vision, even if it won’t please everyone.

The film is also odd in that there isn’t much “acting”. By “acting,” I mean there is very little conversation, dialogue, or actual “character moments”. Much of the performances in the film simply come from the physicality of the characters which is interesting. We can’t rely on words alone but body language in A Ghost Story and quite frankly, the physical acting is often more interesting and compelling than the words that are spoken. The actors do pretty good with what they are given, but it’s hard to really compare these performances to that in other movies. Lowery breaks a lot of boundaries here. At one point, we have a monologue on the legacy and the enormity of time, and frankly, in some ways, it felt like a slap in the face because the lines were almost like screaming “THIS IS THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE.” Seriously. Attentive viewers will get it from other scenes. If they’re not attentive, they’ll stop watching and it’s a loss for them. The monologue just seemed so out-of-context and style with the rest of the film, that it took me out completely of the immersion. Rather, the most brilliant sequence is a nine-minute, completely-still long-take of Rooney Mara eating pie, absolutely devastated, while Casey Affleck’s ghost watches. Nine minutes and it’s brilliant. Not a single word is said. And we get how the both of them feel — Rooney Mara’s character feels absolutely awful as she digs into that pie, and we feel for her as she sits on that floor. We feel for the ghost as we feel the weight of time on our shoulders, just like his own. That was amazing in so many ways. I’d also like to commend Rooney Mara’s performance here, particularly in that scene — she does so much with so little, and quite frankly, it’s amazing. Also, the scene has the added bonus of really making you want to eat pie.
Of course, the film is top-notch on its technical merits. The sound and music are brilliant. The presence of music, as well as the absence of it, and each and every sound that is heard gives you the perfect atmosphere. It’s what you have to access Lowery’s world since there is so little dialogue. In a just world, we’d have Oscar contenders for the sound and music. It won’t happen. I just know it. This is too “out there,” I believe, for Academy recognition (critics may shoot for it, and they should). The editing, while it makes the pacing sometimes frustrating, is still perfect for the film because it does exactly what it is intended, to make us feel years pass quickly, as well as to make the smallest moments feel like eternity, or like the weight of the universe is on our shoulders. Those long takes are often beautiful, picturesque, and quite impressive, even if there are probably a tad too many. Mix it all together with Lowery’s steady hand for directing, and we have a rather solid film, despite my issues with the storytelling itself.
A Ghost Story will have many admirers, but also will leave many frustrated or cheated. It’s a difficult watch because it is so different yet it is very unique. This is a film that, while I cannot recommend with all my heart, I must still leave on a somewhat positive note because of it’s uniqueness, beauty, and message. You feel both the enormity and blink of time within 90 minutes, and it makes you think, think, think. It demands a rewatch. It demands being studied by film students. Alas, for me, it will be a head-scratcher, and not in the most positive way, for the longest time. But go see it for yourself — you have to try it before you say you don’t like it.
Final grades:
Letter scale: C+
Star Scale 2.5 of 4
