This, an early feature from American maverick, Jon Jost, is one of his ultra-rare gems. At his best Jost is a regional filmmaker. His most intimate stories, like the writings of Ramond Carver, focus on the blue-collar inhabitance of the contemporary American West. SLOW MOVES falls into this category.
The story opens as two down-on-their luck misfits, Julie and Jeff meet in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. Unbekonwsnst to Jeff, Julie has come to the bridge to commit suicide. Jeff, a big honest, slight dope of a guy, straight out of the Navy, makes Julie laugh and soon the two become an item. Some time later Jeff moves in with Julie. Out of work and guzzling beer, Jeff argues with an irritated Julie. The two break up briefly, before reconciling and taking a quick trip to the mountains. Their little jaunt is fun and passionate, ending on a sudden, bitter note that comes as a real shock.
Unbelievably, this film was shot in only 5 days, with the two leading actors only meeting in real life just before the first scene was shot. This is true indie cinema, not a false example of something made for several million bucks with movie stars in the cast and distribution already in place (a la "Little Miss Sunshine").
Unfortunately, only 3 or 4 of Jost's films are currently available on DVD. One has to spend some real effort to find copies of his work, but they're out there (like with Facets in Chicago, or from Jost himself via his web site).
