JOE SWANBERG

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  B. 

USA, 2012.  Swanberry.  Screenplay by Jane Adams, Joe Swanberg.  Cinematography by Joe Swanberg.  Produced by Adam Donaghey, Joe Swanberg.  Music by Orange Mighty Trio.  Film Editing by Joe Swanberg.

Alfred Hitchcock said that film was life with the boring parts cut out, and by gum director Joe Swanberg has found them all and assembled them for your viewing displeasure. Jane Adams is, surprisingly, terrible as an actress whose vague dissatisfaction with her career is unseated when her young niece comes to visit her California apartment to begin her own attempt at a career in show business.  Competing generations and differing attitudes create an uncomfortable friction, or at least try to, as Swanberg’s intention to make something that plays out with a natural and unmelodrmaatic pace actually has too many long drawn out moments that have little in the way of engaging conversation or conflict.  It’s a film so completely unaware of its lack of interesting qualities that it gets very depressing very quickly.