"Gerry"
Think Films
Directed by Gus Van Sant
Written by Casey Affleck, Matt Damon and Gus Van Sant
Produced by Dany Wolf
Starring Casey Affleck and Matt Damon
Rated R
Opens tomorrow at the tower
(out of four)

If one of film’s great qualities is its ability put people in experiences that they aren’t likely to be in, then Gus Van Sant’s "Gerry" is an indispensable oddity that shows what it would be like to be lost in the desert.

It would be intermittently boring, surreal, trying and confusing. The film is, at various times, all of these things, leaving some critics to speculate that it’s aiming for some sort of deeper, pretentious message.

But the point of the film is actually rather simple and easy to figure out. "Gerry" is the story of two young men named Gerry who learn about the mortality and meaninglessness that comes with life. Some might say that a better way to make that film would be to have the characters talk about it nonstop for a couple hours, but Van Sant has the restraint to let the emotions become clear on their own.

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck star as the two Gerrys. In 1997, Van Sant directed Damon’s big break, "Good Will Hunting," which Damon also co-wrote with best pal (and Casey’s older brother) Ben Affleck. While Ben has since showed up in big-budget Jerry Bruckheimer-produced action films like "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor," Damon has generally chosen more drama oriented roles.

"Gerry" marks Damon’s first writing credit since "Good Will Hunting," credited alongside Van Sant and Casey Affleck, but there wasn’t so much a script on this film as a shooting plan that the director and actors improvised around. The sparse dialogue consists mainly of planning how to find the way back to the car and/or road, Damon describing a "Wheel of Fortune" episode in which a contestant makes a major blunder and Affleck describing his near success in a video game in which the goal is world conquest.

The story begins after a shot sequence that runs about seven minutes and features the two Gerrys driving down a long, meandering desert road. This road, however, isn’t enough preparation for what awaits them.

On their way to see "the thing," the two stray from the path to avoid tourists and, well, learn not to stray from the path. They slowly realize how lost they are as they attempt to find their way back to the car and attempt several efforts to return to the road.

The most stunning scene involves Affleck standing on top of a boulder that it’s a wonder he got on top of in the first place while Damon tries to figure out how to get him down. Most of the scene plays out in one continuous take, only cutting once or twice to an angle emphasizing the rock’s height. By letting the drama play out in real time, Van Sant shows confidence in the intrigue of the situation where a lesser director would have tried to make things fancier.

Harris Savides’s excellent cinematography also deserves notice. His desert landscapes recall some of the best desert films, most notably David Lean’s "Lawrence of Arabia," while other shots are entirely his and Van Sant’s. The camera pans around, allowing time to search for civilization when there’s no sign of it in sight. It’s freaky.

While many may find the film trying on their patience, those who appreciate slower films by the likes of Antonioni will recognize “Gerry” as a mesmerizing and, if anything, unique film experience. After all, they’re lost in the desert—how fast could the pacing be?
jeremy@red-mag.com