The Photograph

I first saw this film at Cinequest (San Jose Film Festival) in 2008. Each year I see about 15 films at that festival, and this was by far my favorite; it was also one of my favorite films of the entire year. The pace is languid, as appropriate for the story and setting. True to the title, I perceived many of the scenes as a delicate and cherished still shot brought to life for a short while. The story is simple: singer and reluctant prostitute at a town bar seeks escape from her situtation and rents a loft from an aging and frail portrait photographer; reluctantly he accepts her help in lieu of rent. The acting, cinematography and even the story made this a great film. I am not a great critic of acting skills, but I felt the two main actors did a superb job. Watch this film if you can find it and I assure that you will be invested in the lives of these two remarkable people.