LIGHT AND THE SUFFERER is a peculiar little exercise in dreamy cross-genre abstraction which centers on two young native-Manhattan brothers, one a hopeless addict, the other a more grounded, though susceptive college dropout. They mutually agree that starting a new life in California would benefit them both, but lacking the necessary funds for this move, they devise a scheme to rob a smalltime dope-pusher. The plan goes awry, however, and the brothers must lay low to avoid the dope pusher's lackeys. To complicate matters even more, they find themselves being incessantly tracked by a "sufferer"...a quadrupedal, silent creature with a humanlike head. Though these beings are confirmed to be extraterrestrial, no further exposition of their origins is given...their existence in the world seems understood, and is moreless acknowledged with offhand indifference. They are, however, regarded with some degree of disesteem, in that they habitually, albeit nonthreateningly, stalk individuals in the midst of a personal quandary or other such impasse in their lives. The motives for this behavior are argued but never fully clarified, though being "followed" is seen as a frustrating and potentially distressing ordeal which carries a rather touchy social stigma.
An earnest microbudget endeavor sourced from a story by cult writer Jonathan Lethem, it's surprisingly well appointed, and alluringly shot with an artful eye. A methodically slow-burning picture, its primary focus is more on the dilemma faced by the key characters than on the fantastical materiality of tailgating alien man-dogs. It could possibly be argued that the creatures have a figurative placement in the story, though what, exactly, they might represent is anybody's guess. I personally don't have a problem with vague narratives, but it might put-off some viewers, as will the primitive but sparingly used CGI effects.
In a nutshell, a flawed but mindfully prepared ambrosia with a pinch of hard-boiled neo-noir, a dash of sci-fi, and a sprinkling of plaintive sentiment...an oddly flavorful dish unlikely to appease all appetites.
5.5/10
