Who We Are Now is one of the best indie films I've seen in years. And it's playing on one screen, the beloved Cinema Village. And if yesterday's sparse attendance is any indication, it won't be here next week. And that is a crying shame. If you're in the city and can manage it, run to the Cinema Village to see this important, moving, breathtaking and beautifully written and acted film while you can.
I can point to two things which might account for its lackluster box office performance. The first is a problem of film marketing. The trailer is a pumped up shiny object which tries to make the film seem like a conventional thriller when it's so much more. Like many trailers today, it underestimates the public's hunger for substance and plays the lowest common denominator. And by doing so, I'm afraid, possibly causes folks who'd really connect with the moral core of the story to skip it entirely.
And the Times review is 233 words. Three paragraphs. 233 words. It's a good review. But there's hardly enough room there to approach what's contained in this gorgeous film.
How do we find the gems these days? I feel like I stumbled on this film by accident. And that irks me.
