Campbell Scott has directed a gem in OFF THE MAP. I had the chance to attend the premiere at Lincoln Center and was blown away by the performances of Sam Elliot, Joan Allen, J.K. Simmons, and Jim True-Frost. The New Mexican landscape complimented the story perfectly, and I felt as though I too was living on a ranch in the middle of a desert.
Elliot, an actor best known for his commanding on-screen persona and deep booming voice, did a complete turn around in this film. He hardly speaks for the entire picture, taking on the persona of a depressed yet warm man. When he does speak, it is with the subtle wisdom of a father, who, as True- Frost's character puts it, "has it all." My only longing in this area was that I wanted to see more of Elliot before he dove into depression, to strengthen the contrast.
Allen complements Sam perfectly as a metaphorical "mother earth" holding the family together as her husband suffers through the necessary ritual of unwarranted depression. She is so overwhelmingly beautiful in this film that when Jim True-Frost shows up, playing an IRS man there to audit the family for neglecting taxes indefinitely (neither Elliot or Allen work, they live off the land and on what they find in the local dump) he falls hopelessly in love with her and their centered, untarnished lifestyle.
True-Frost really makes a mark in this movie, and I would not be surprised if we see much more of him in the indie future. His character is a drifter working for the IRS (if you can believe the irony) and while not looking to find himself, he finds something much more important, beauty in the world around him, in the New Mexican landscape, and in painting with the water colors J.K. Simmons has purchased in an attempt to pull Elliot out of the depths of depression.
Simmons is delightfully refreshing as Elliot's long time best friend. He silently amuses in the role, with the quiet nature of someone who is truly at peace with all things around him.
The film also marks the debut of Valentina de Angelis, in the spunky role of Bo who ties everything together. We follow her as she yearns to escape from the very seclusion that her parents, Allen and Elliot embrace. She is rough at times, delivering lines that seem wise beyond her years, and it seems that as time progresses she may develop her craft into something greater. She has a face the screen loves, and undoubtedly that is why she was cast.
Campbell Scott is the true star here. The visuals are mindblowing. He weaves the people in the film into the land he shoots on, and creates visual illusions that are more often than not extraordinary. I would be remiss in not mentioning Joan Ackermann, whose writing makes this story far more meaningful than it might have been had the family been using electricity, plumbing, and a phone. After all, aren't the modern conveniences what prevent us from true personal reflection?
Bravo Mr. Scott. Bravo. Yes, it's a long film, and if it were a studio picture it would be 30 minutes shorter - but Scott made the film he wanted to, and we are all lucky to partake in his perspective of desert mirage.
Elliot, an actor best known for his commanding on-screen persona and deep booming voice, did a complete turn around in this film. He hardly speaks for the entire picture, taking on the persona of a depressed yet warm man. When he does speak, it is with the subtle wisdom of a father, who, as True- Frost's character puts it, "has it all." My only longing in this area was that I wanted to see more of Elliot before he dove into depression, to strengthen the contrast.
Allen complements Sam perfectly as a metaphorical "mother earth" holding the family together as her husband suffers through the necessary ritual of unwarranted depression. She is so overwhelmingly beautiful in this film that when Jim True-Frost shows up, playing an IRS man there to audit the family for neglecting taxes indefinitely (neither Elliot or Allen work, they live off the land and on what they find in the local dump) he falls hopelessly in love with her and their centered, untarnished lifestyle.
True-Frost really makes a mark in this movie, and I would not be surprised if we see much more of him in the indie future. His character is a drifter working for the IRS (if you can believe the irony) and while not looking to find himself, he finds something much more important, beauty in the world around him, in the New Mexican landscape, and in painting with the water colors J.K. Simmons has purchased in an attempt to pull Elliot out of the depths of depression.
Simmons is delightfully refreshing as Elliot's long time best friend. He silently amuses in the role, with the quiet nature of someone who is truly at peace with all things around him.
The film also marks the debut of Valentina de Angelis, in the spunky role of Bo who ties everything together. We follow her as she yearns to escape from the very seclusion that her parents, Allen and Elliot embrace. She is rough at times, delivering lines that seem wise beyond her years, and it seems that as time progresses she may develop her craft into something greater. She has a face the screen loves, and undoubtedly that is why she was cast.
Campbell Scott is the true star here. The visuals are mindblowing. He weaves the people in the film into the land he shoots on, and creates visual illusions that are more often than not extraordinary. I would be remiss in not mentioning Joan Ackermann, whose writing makes this story far more meaningful than it might have been had the family been using electricity, plumbing, and a phone. After all, aren't the modern conveniences what prevent us from true personal reflection?
Bravo Mr. Scott. Bravo. Yes, it's a long film, and if it were a studio picture it would be 30 minutes shorter - but Scott made the film he wanted to, and we are all lucky to partake in his perspective of desert mirage.