Jon Jost turns 79 today, he is an absolute legend who has inspired so many indie filmmakers. In honor of the legendary filmmaker birthday, i wanted to pen my thoughts on Rembrandt Laughing (1989), an unusual 16mm feature by Jon Jost which is one of most overlooked film ever with full of heart and mind.
As a Jost fan, i have witnessed a change in his process over the years, his filmography in that sense is a mixed bag. Those who have followed my reviews will know that 'All the Veermers in Newyorn' is without a doubt my favouurite film followed by Tom Blair Trilogy. Coming to this film, Jost peers through the monotony of everyday life to pose questions about existence and philosophy. On paper, it is set of fragments of a year in the lives of a group of friends in San Francisco.
The most memorable aspect of tthe film takes place at the very beginning, It opens with a quote 'life can be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards" - Kierkegaard. A breezy start uses a recurring theme, which is existential in the background to create a proto mumblecore feeling. Then, a little animation and pleasantly an amazing score, things erupt into a half hour surge of oddly timed lines, and highly unusual but most accessible yet unconventional Jost film. Many those who follow his films post Veermer will tend to have a different opinion. This doesn't have too much of avant-garde techniques as in Jost's later films. Instead, he focusses on the mundane to set a mood sustained by an allegory Dutch artist Rembrandt in the film, it is intertwined with some good acting. I want to give brownie points for the legendary Nathaniel Dorsky.
At only 100 minutes, I still say it's worth checking out if you enjoy mumblecore films and love the films of and love films of Dan Sallitt, Bradley Rust Gray, Jon Moritsugu, Steve Collins, Sam Mendes, Jason Reitman, So Yong Kim, Alex Thompson, Joachim Trier, Noah Baumbach, Judd Apatow, Nicolas Bedos, Lena Dunham, Antonin Peretjatko, Sébastien Betbeder, Miguel Gomes, Azazel Jacobs, Curtis Vowell, Pedro Morelli, and even Aki Kaurismäki.
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