MOUNTAIN MEN

Old Joy (Grade: A-)

Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy was a huge hit with critics at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but it was shown in such obscure venues that the public missed out. Whether or not you get a chance to see it in the theater will probably depend on ticket sales from its extremely limited release over the next few months. It plays at Cinema 21 in Portland from August 25-31, and it opens at the Film Forum in New York City on September 20.

Old Joy is extremely satisfying , even though the action is limited to two men driving in a car, talking, walking in the woods and soaking in hot springs. The pacing is slow and meditative, with gorgeous Oregon scenery to keep us fixated on the screen (the film was shot in Portland and at the secluded Bagby Hot Springs in the Cascade Mountains). Knowing that the premise is limited, Reichardt wisely keeps the running time down to a trim 70 minutes.

Daniel London and Will Oldham are both excellent as Mark and Kurt, two friends who have grown apart over the years. Mark is about to become a father, while Kurt seems to recoil at idea of settling down. This is the lowkey, Valium version of the clash between Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in Sideways.

Since gay director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) produced the film, it's tempting to assign queer significance to a pivotal event toward the end of the film. While Mark soaks in the tub, Kurt begins massaging his neck, staring down at Mark's wedding ring in a way that left me wondering if he'd been pining for his friend all these years. Reviews in straight publications like Entertainment Weekly haven't made a big deal out of this, but it will be interesting to see if the gay press shares my impression that there is at least a modicum of homo tension between these men.