Susan Granger’s review of “Time Out of Mind” (IFC Films)
At the New York Film Festival, Richard Gere identified this story about a homeless man as one of his proudest projects in an illustrious career that includes “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (1977), “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982), “Pretty Woman” (1990), “Chicago” (2002) and “Arbitrage” (2012).
Problem is: while this is the kind of role actors yearn for – I suspect audiences will yawn.
When George Hammond (Gere) is evicted from his squalid New York City apartment, he’s forced to suffer the indignities of vagrancy, wandering the streets, searching for a drink and his next meal.
Needing somewhere to sleep, he goes through the long process of checking into Bellevue, the dingy men’s shelter in Manhattan. To get a meal voucher and a bed for the night, George must answer probing questions about his personal history.
Amid similar unfortunates, he’s isolated and adrift – until he begins conversing with a garrulous fellow (Ben Vereen). And when George accosts a young woman (Jena Malone) in a laundromat, it turns out that she’s his estranged daughter.
New York-based writer/director Oren Moverman (“The Messenger,” “Rampart”) never delves into why George is homeless. Instead, he focuses on George’s travails. It’s plodding, minimalist, socially-conscious film-making.
The title is taken from Bob Dylan’s 30th studio album, since Moverman and Gere met while working on Todd Haynes’ Dylan pseudo-biopic “I’m Not There” (2007), which Moverman co-wrote.
Obviously improvising much of the time, Gere delivers an anguished performance. At the NYFF, he said, half-jokingly, that “what probably really helped was: I was right in the middle of a divorce (from Carey Lowell), so emotions were right on the surface.”
Recalling a panhandling scene, filmed on Astor Place, Gere noted: “I’ve been down there a million times, usually rushing through to try not to be recognized. But as the character, I freaked out because no one would even make eye contact. It’s that black hole of failure that they can see from two blocks away.”
Appearing in cameos are Steve Buscemi, Kyra Sedgwick, Jeremy Strong and Michael K. Williams.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Time Out of Mind” is a tedious, freewheeling 4, an underwhelming movie-going experience.
