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User Reviews for: A Ghost Story

Keeper70
/10  6 years ago
Goodness me, this film is the most polarising film I think I have ever seen. There appears to be one group of people who unresolvedly hate the film and another who absolutely love it but nothing in between.

I can see why people would walk-out in cinema showings and hate the movie with a passion. Nothing happens as such, there is little to no story but I maintain that this is the point. When we are gone, life goes on slowly, inexorably, if we could observe it as a ‘ghost’ that is how it would seem. We have no idea but I would guess most of use through some longing would try and connect with those we loved and knew, we would return to places that were familiar to us, similar to the zombies in Romero’s ‘Dead’ films would we gravity to places that meant something to us, were important, in our lives.

There isn’t much dialogue and there are long stretches, 20 minutes or more, where little happens, the pie-eating scene is famous in the annoyance for some, yet for others, it shows the solitude of grief and how it can be dealt with. One real bugbear for me though, when there was some small dialogue, is Casey Affleck’s insistence on the realism of ‘mumblecore’. I could understand little of what he said. I’m old and my hearing is not what it was but it is also okay, I’ve had it tested recently, he mumbles and it’s hard to understand what he says. So annoying. Luckily as a ghost, he says nothing. Rooney Mara has I would less dialogue but skilfully acts emotions with just her face or even how she walks to and from a room or to a door.

This is not a film for the average film-goer and in particular the multiplex ‘action movie-romantic comedy’ crowd but if you are patient prepared for a quiet thoughtful film then you might be able to take something away from it.

I’m somewhere in between the two camps. I can see that the film does drag on and showing the futility of staying in a place where you no longer belong, trying to change something you can’t change and not letting go in glorious slow-time with little dialogue or on-screen stimulation is perhaps, whilst making a valid point, foolhardy. The idea of the ghost being a traditional Halloween sheet is a clever touch and seems to be saying it is a ghost but it doesn’t matter. To be utterly fair to Lowery and his cast I stuck without and overall I enjoyed it more than it rubbed me up the wrong way. I’m not sure about the time-traveling aspect or what it was adding to the story or what it was trying to say, perhaps ‘this goes on forever’ it is truly the circle of life and there is no end or beginning unless you choose to leave it. Only love helps you leave it. Perhaps, maybe?

Then again if you can stand the slow pace and the odd story this is probably the point you make your mind up about the story and what it means. It could mean different to each and every one of use.

Then again you could intensely dislike it, it will not be the first film that will make you feel this way nor the last, you could equally really like it. Who knows?
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Nathan
/10  one year ago
_A Ghost Story_ is one of the saddest movies I think I have ever watched. I did not have many expectations headed into this film, but I think that was for the better. The entire film makes you feels so isolated and alone. Someone a man in bedsheet in order to draw such strong emotions out of the audience. The whole experience really makes you think about your life and what it truly means. Although, with how much praise I have for the film there are some minor complaints I have. David Lowery incorporates some incredibly long shots of nothingness. I understand what he was trying to do with these shots, and they worked to an extent. But it added a sense of slowness and drag to the movie that made the pacing off. Every time the movie was about to find its pacing, a scene like this occurred and pulled me out. Regardless, I still willing to give this 4.5 stars due to the uniqueness and the emotion that I felt throughout the runtime.

**Score:** _86%_ |
**Verdict:** _Excellent_
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Gimly
/10  6 years ago
If a movie is boring on purpose, is it still boring?
Well, as it turns out: Yes.
But props for trying something different.

_Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._
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Reno
/10  6 years ago
**A love story from another dimension!**

I did not think what the title says was literal. I assumed some person with social-shy, wore a white cloth like a mask to confront it. Totally surprised by what I saw. Frankly, I did not like at the first. It was a boring start. I could not overcome that pie eating scene. It was damn too long for nothing. That kinds are the source of boredom. But the actress did good on that. Then what followed were amazing. I truly was not expected that. So at the end, I thought it was an average, then thought a decent and finally realised its something unique and awesome. The lesson is, the more time you give between watching the film and your opinion, the result would only get better.

Well the story was so simple. A couple with their average life get affected when one of them dies in a car accident. Soon the ghost resides the house looking for a reason to stay. It is kind of a love story from another dimension. As the time passes on, things change and complicates the quest. But there's always a way to fix it, even for a ghost, so how its been done and what it is was the remaining story.

The cast was good, but most of the film it was about the ghost, which could have been anybody inside the sheet. So can't appreciate particularly anyone. As I have heard, Casey did all those parts as he should be. Even though that was not a praisable performance than a simple presence. It's his second collaboration with the director along with Rooney Mara. The one question that everybody who saw it needed to be answered is what was the note says. I googled and got the Q&A with the director that says, nobody knows, not even Mara remembers what she wrote.

This is one of the best films. With or without reason the story happened. But that's not the matter, instead, how cleverly, such a concept was developed and made into a film makes the interesting fact. They even did not require a higher end graphics, except in small quantity. It will gain a cult status and as the years go by, it will be considered one of best 1,000 films. So recommend it, but be patient, at least in the initial stage and take a day to give an opinion on it. Maybe reading articles about the plot if you have a doubt is good. Really a creative film!

_7/10_
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