Review of The Book of Life (1998) by Kelli B — 14 Nov 2014

Hal Hartley's metaphorical film is as much a witty comedy as it is an allusive work of art house cinema. While the film can feel a bit dated with it's material concerning the paranoia surround the year 2000, the film is more timely in it's musings about humanity and progress.

Shot in a hyper-digitalized style that is often entrancing (albeit sometimes disorienting) The Book of Life was also possibly Harley's most experimental film upon it's release, but it's nuanced and story-driven enough for it to function better than much of his latter work.

Also, the ending is a work of true passion.