Amateur - 1994
Posted by Scott on 27 May 2008 at 12:09 am | Tagged as: Obscure Films
Writer/director Hal Hartley helped shape independent cinema in the 1990s. Films like The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men, and Henry Fool stood out for their unique consistent styles. Deadpan dialogue and oddball characters defined Hartley’s peculiar method of filmmaking. Be it emotionally unstable loners or undiscovered geniuses, Hartley never failed to craft memorable screen personas. His best film, in my opinion, is Amateur, a clever little caper about pornography and nymphomaniac nuns. Seriously, I’m not kidding.
World famous porn star Sofia just pushed her notorious porn kingpin husband Thomas out the window. Sofia, believing Thomas to be dead, flees to the streets of NYC. Thomas, not dead, wakes up with amnesia and stumbles into a diner where he meets ex-nun turned erotic writer Isabelle. Bored and starving for experiences, Isabelle takes in Thomas in part to help him discover his identity. Meanwhile, Sofia calls old friend Edward and sweet talks him into revealing Thomas’ boss Jaque, a corporate tyrant who doesn’t like loose ends.
A naive Sofia gives Jaque a ring claiming she has some incriminating floppy disks in her possession. Jaque dispatches a couple nattily attired hitmen to take care of Sofia and collect the disks. Edward gets tortured by the hitmen. One of the hitmen gets whacked by Sofia. Then Isabelle, Thomas and Sofia head upstate to hide out with the one remaining hitman, a crazed Edward, and a bevy of NYPD in hot pursuit. Oh yeah, in between all that Isabelle professes she’s a nymphomaniac (even though she’s a virgin) and falls for Thomas.
Did you get all that? This is a typical Hal Hartley narrative, nonsensical but absurdly funny. Hartley regulars like Martin Donovan and Elina Lowensohn fill out an eclectic cast. Scant set pieces and a minimalist score are signature Hartley and it’s these simplicities that make his films original. His budgets have always been super-low and Amateur is no exception, but he’s always manages to squeeze the most out of every dollar. Amateur, like all Hartley’s movies, is an acquired taste but I promise it’s worth sampling.
