Hamilton
Hamilton | |
| Director: | Matthew Porterfield |
| Cast: | Christopher H. Myers, Stephanie Vizzi |
| Release Date: | 2006 |
| Genre: | Drama |
Matthew Porterfield’s exquisite Hamilton follows a divided family over the course of two hot summer days in the Baltimore neighborhood of the same name. Silent and sullen Joe (Christopher H. Myers) has moved out of his single mom’s house to pursue odd jobs around the neighborhood; Lena (Stephanie Vizzi), the mother of Joe’s child, still lives with Joe’s mom and sisters as they all prepare for a trip to the country--and hope that Joe will make the effort to reconnect with them emotionally. This short (65 minutes) feature still manages to unfold at a leisurely but confident pace. The dialogue is sparse and incidental, and typically doesn’t move the narrative along in conventional ways, yet it helps bring you close to Joe, Lena, and several other living, breathing characters in ways most Hollywood movies can’t even dream of doing. Big ups to Jeremy Saulnier’s visionary cinematography, which connects Hamilton to the worlds of such cutting-edge international art-house names as Claire Denis and Gus Van Sant. From its hypnotic first frames to its dreamy use of Animal Collective over the end credits, Hamilton is a class act.