‘No Such Thing’
August 14, 2002
Stars: Sarah Polley, Robert John Burke, Helen Mirren, and Julie Christie
Plot: A young journalist (Polley) journeys to Iceland to find her missing fiance only to encounter a mythical creature (Burke), eventually they forge a relationship.
Features: Widescreen presentation and the Original Theatrical Trailer.
Final Word: Hal Hartley has always marched in the avant garde, but this time he marches alone. Followers will have to be drafted. No Such Thing is inexplicable, shapeless, dull. It doesn’t even rise to entertaining badness. Coming four years after his intriguing if unsuccessful Henry Fool, and filmed mostly on location in Iceland with Icelandic money, it suggests a film that was made primarily because he couldn’t get anything else off the ground. Since the filming, Christie had a facelift and Mirren won an Oscar nomination. Life moves on.
Rating: 5 briefs (out of 5)