Review of Day Night Day Night

One can't talk about this film without ruining a long-held secret. Then again, I'm not sure that not knowing would help one to enjoy it, either. Without knowing the film's sense of purpose, it would be easy to get bored, I think. It's not that hard even if you do know, unfortunately, but it might be excruciating if you didn't. So here's the secret (SPOILERS, duh!): the girl, played by Luisa Williams, has been drafted to execute a suicide bombing mission in Times Square. We never know who the girl is, we have only tiny clues as to why she would agree to do this, and we never know why the mysterious organization, several of whose members we meet, wants this mission carried out. In a way, the film reminded me of last year's Old Joy, and it is similarly frustrating. There's so little information, and the style is so minimalist, that it's hard to care. I liked both films to an extent. I think I slightly prefer Day Night Day Night. It had a hypnotic rhythm about it. Luisa Williams is a very good actress. Plus, the final half hour is quite tense, and worth the wait. The writer/director's decision to completely depoliticize the situation pretty much subtracts any real meaning. The terrorist organization is hilariously diverse. I half expected a Native American in a wheelchair to show up at some point. Loktev's direction is strong. The way she uses sound during that last half hour is impressive.