Review of Time Out of Mind (2015) by Jane S — 22 Sep 2015

Given the film's important topic of homelessness, approached this film with a strong predisposition to like it --- but what a huge disappointment!

The primary problem lies in the story itself that features an unlikeable protagonist and obsesses about the bureaucratic difficulties he faces in getting through the day....and the frustrating fight against bureaucracy constitutes the primary dramatic conflict. Nothing wrong with trying to underscore the tedium of the homeless experience but it is important that, in doing so, the film itself does not become exasperatingly tedious. The story offers no love interest, the father-daughter conflict is an emotionally flat cliche, and the main subsidiary character ( Ben Vereen) is a corny cartoon. Steve Buscemi, a great actor, is wasted entirely in portrayal of a cardboard personality of no note.

The secondary problem is the weird direction: Moverman has established himself as an intellectual, experimental, director; however, all his directorial innovations fail badly and intrusively call attention upon themselves: for example, he keeps the camera at a distance in order to suggest that the public views the homeless from a remote, dispassionate, perspective and that approach only diminishes audience emotional involvement...or Moverman provides a soundtrack of cacophonous street noise in order to indicate that the homeless rarely find moments of privacy and peace; however, that tactic only succeeds in grating upon the nerves of an audience.

For a film entitled, "Time Out of Mind, " based upon a Bob Dylan title, the work is screaming for soulful songs that will enhance the emotional impact -- and yet there are none to be found. In fact, the film would be improved tremendously if that bothersome street noise would be expunged and replaced with music instead. IFC should send the film back to the editing room and, that one change alone, would dramatically improve audience response (assuming the proper emotional songs are installed).

As for Gere, definitely one of his stronger performances, but it is badly undermined by tragic flaws in the story and direction. He is in an uphill fight, attempting to gain audience sympathy when his character is so unappealing from square one and when experimental yet improper directorial methods fall on their face. A properly executed film dealing with the homeless should have left the audience emotionally devastated, overcome with tears, incapable of rising from their seats, and inspired to remedy the problem; instead, at the screening I attended, as soon as end credits appeared, there was a race to the exits.

In a film whose topic is a huge "downer" and must struggle to gain interest from a mostly hedonistic public, this film, in its current form, has no chance of repeat viewings. Again, hate to criticize a film with such good intentions, but this will be removed from theaters in another two weeks, with exhibitors begging to replace it with anything other than this filmic version of Chinese water torture.