THE DRIFTLESS AREA REVIEWED
“The Driftless Area” isn’t an easy film to watch. The first time I saw it, I was stunned by the acting of John Hawkes, Zooey Deschanel and Anton Yelchin. The second time I saw it, I got a chance to step back and soak in the experience. The film would’ve worked better as a book. So many characters, such aimless drifting and the need to build a world out of the mundane kills a great deal of its film qualities. No wonder it went straight from Tribeca to DVD.
That being said, the characters are interesting enough to hold the attention of the curious. John Hawkes and Ciaran Hinds play scumbags with a degree of skill, while Zooey Deschanel kicks up the quirky girl factor to 900. The film plays like Postmodern Pulp Fiction by way of Americana, it just doesn’t ever get to go anywhere. The murky browns and deep shade of the film seem to evoke the past, but as far as I can tell it’s present day. Never quite knowing what to do with itself, “The Driftless Area” remains a recommended rental.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Featurette
A/V QUALITY STATS
- 2.40:1 standard definition transfer
- Dolby Digital 5.1
