February 14, 2007
Lustre shines
Reviewer: James van Maanen
Rating (out of 5): ***
A strange and sad love letter to a "disappeared" New York City, Lustre actually has a good deal of that titular quality, even though, cinematically speaking, the budget must have been too low to manage the kind of sharp photography that is needed. What's here is often out of focus, grainy or bleached. But due to the marvelous Victor Argo--who died soon after the film was completed and whose face, voice and spirit are in front of us for almost the entire running time--we are pulled in and held fast. The story--or non-story--concerns the lead character's ruminations on his checkered past and present (he's a loan shark), but it's as much about what no longer exists in New York City as what's gone from his life. There is sweet humor and a lot of sadness here, and occasionally the movie rises to poetry and art. Even in its lesser moments writer/director Art Jones offers plenty to contemplate. That it most likely will not compare to anything else you’ve seen also helps Lustre pass muster, and then some.
Posted by cphillips at February 14, 2007 6:06 AM
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