If I had seen this film outside of a film festival setting I probably would not have appreciated it as much. Fortunately, director David Lowery provided amazing insight into his thought process and artistic intent as he crafted this film.
His attempt to create a "classic" film, distinguishable for its details but otherwise typical of the star-crossed lovers genre, resulted in something so much more. The characters are much more complex and do not fit neatly into their traditional archetypes. The audience will feel conflicted throughout, growing partial to different characters and rooting for different outcomes at various junctures in the film. Character introspection and lengthy shots of the landscape definitely took priority over plot development. If the depth of the story matched the depth of the characters this would be a truly great film.
The performances are second-to-none and the film was expertly cast. The hand clapping percussion and fiddle gives the score a uniquely southern, soulful feel; anyone from Texas can attest, the combination of score and cinematography will let the audience know what small-town Texas feels like.
Lowery prefaced the film as a cinematic "folk song" and it totally had the feel of a Townes Van Zandt ballad. If the film-goer keeps the folk song description in mind they'll truly appreciate the film's nuances and enjoy the experience.
