Almost Ghosts

This is the quintessential documentary in the sense that it captures the ethos and the history of a place (or in this case places), based on what we see there today. The story is centered around three fascinating characters who grew up in small towns along Route 66. These towns were forgotten once traffic was moved to the new interstates, leaving these three men, now in their golden years, out of the loop, very much like living ghosts. The story develops slowly through interviews with each of these men, with b-roll of things as they are now in these intriguing ghost towns. The filmmaker makes two interesting choices that define the film: 1. Not using historic photographs and footage of Route 66, but staying focused on these three individuals and only using historic footage that directly refers to them. This is not a Ken Burns style documentary; 2. Shooting clips on tripod with no camera movement in gorgeous compositions that look like living still photographs. The result is a slow film that allows the viewer to immerse themselves in the scene. This is not the fast-cut, high-action style documentary that is in vogue these days. It is very much intended for connoisseurs who enjoy this slow paced aesthetics, which perfectly matches the places. Not for everyone, but for those who enjoy history and fine photography, this is a treat.