Tonight I had the chance to see a film titled 'Craigslist Joe' which, as the trailer above summarizes, is the story of one man who attempts to live and travel strictly off of the kindness of people on craigslist. The documentary itself was good, cute in a way. I was a little surprised that Joe, the man in question, experiences no major setbacks or downfalls throughout his journey, and that everyone he meets is of the new-age, 'hippy' mindset. I suppose this is to be expected when who else would allow a complete stranger to sleep on their couch, or travel in a car with them for long distances.
In a way it was very uplifting to see someone supported entirely by the kindness of others, and the variety of backgrounds these people come from - old hippies who use crystals and pyramids, former actresses who need rooms cleaned, an Iranian family who were refugees from Desert Storm, etc. I know of a few people who would fit in just fine with this crowd, and who would gladly support a stranger in their travels (this is where I admit I'm not one of these people, although given a few years and the right company, I admire these people and might one day be counted among them).
I also thought it was an interesting view of America. Joe travels ( and in many ways, finds a place to sleep) by accompanying people in their vehicles as they drive across country. This is a little of the view of North America, where driving is a necessity should one wish to travel entirely off the kindness of strangers.
The travels of Joe also happened to occur during the month of December, and I wonder if that played a part in how generous craigslisters were; were he to travel around, say, February, the 'spirit of giving' is not nearly as present amongst the general public and I wonder how easily he would have found lodging or rides.
I also thought it was an interesting view of America. Joe travels ( and in many ways, finds a place to sleep) by accompanying people in their vehicles as they drive across country. This is a little of the view of North America, where driving is a necessity should one wish to travel entirely off the kindness of strangers.
The travels of Joe also happened to occur during the month of December, and I wonder if that played a part in how generous craigslisters were; were he to travel around, say, February, the 'spirit of giving' is not nearly as present amongst the general public and I wonder how easily he would have found lodging or rides.
So I liked this film, not amazingly so, but I'm glad I could see it - I saw it through an indie theatre, and Craigslist Joe would do fairly will in the major theatres so long as they are the type to play 'Indie' films alongside blockbusters.
Rating: 6.5 to 7 out of 10
Robot and Frank I saw a little further back, and I enjoyed it better than Craigslist Joe. It's about (again, as the trailer shows) an older man (Frank) living on his own and his children get him a robot as a house assistant - a butler or an aide, if anything - and Frank who so happens to be a former thief, brings the robot into play as his wing-man when doing one or two last 'jobs'.
I was impressed with the acting, especially by whoever was playing the robot, as my suspension of disbelief was quite readily thrown on about 30 seconds after the robot began to move (my only issue was how light the robot seemed at first - easily lifted from a car trunk by a young man).
The underlying story of how Frank is dealing with Alzheimer's was also well played, with a few spooky moments where Frank forgets who (rather, what) he is talking to. The world built around the film also shows a few choice signs of how it's set in the 'near future', from television-phones to movements both for and against robot labor.
It was an elegant story, with the main focus being the story of Frank, although I found a few elements could have been adjusted - I wasn't sure why Frank stole a certain book in the film other than as a reason to practice thieving with the robot. Susan Sarandon's character appears heavily in the beginning and the end of the film, but disappears during most of it.
I enjoyed Frank being shown, with flaws and all - and not even quirks, but active flaws that the audience feels a little uncomfortable with seeing. How Frank reacts to and manipulates his family in order to divert blame or confrontation with other people is the example that stuck with me.
I feel this film will be well accepted, being directed a) at the aging boomers (who made up most of the audience I was with) and b) their children (like myself) who will face their parents aging before their eyes and will have to figure out what to do. When the largest population expansion in the past 100 years ages at the same time, the world will cater to it, and robots, however outlandish they sound now, are currently being looked at, if not already employed. This was shown rather well in the slightly out of character, but very interesting, clips of robots during the credits. From ASIMO to robots used to help transport the elderly to and from their beds, it was fascinating to see what technology can, and could, do.
The cinematography, costumes, sets, and storyline was strong, the acting was good, and the story was well done. It didn't capture my heart, but I enjoyed it all the same.
Rating: 8 out of 10
