Sight Unseen Appreciation

I'm getting excited about this filmmaker named Andrew Bujalski, and I haven't even seen any of his films yet. His most recent movie, "Mutual Appreciation," has received positive reviews. The New York Times compares this 30-year-old to John Cassavetes:

If Mr. Bujalski has learned anything from Cassavetes, it’s that films should be about life, not death, fashion or virtuosity, and that there are few more meaningful subjects for art and for personal expression than other people.

The Times finds similarities between "Mutual Appreciation" and Jean Eustache’s "The Mother and the Whore," a Franco/cinephile's three and a half hours of heaven. Bujalski's directing technique seems like Wong Kar-Wai's style. He doesn't allow his actors to read the entire script. He describes the scene to the nonprofessional actors and then lets them improvise. "Mutual Appreciation" is in limited release, and his 2002 film "Funny Ha Ha" is available through Netflix. Here's a NY Sun profile of the filmmaker. (Image via Green Cine)