All the Ships at Sea - Press and Quotes


Press


"All the Ships at Sea"  (text version on this site)
Scott Foundas, Variety

"Method Fest" (text version on this site)
Ron Stringer, L. A. Weekly

“All the Ships at Sea: An Unsettling Look at the Ties That Bind”
Zach Campbell, 24fps

"All the Ships at Sea"
Jason Overbeck, Bent Clouds

Ten Best Films of 2003
Bill Krohn, Senses of Cinema

Ten Best Films of 2003
Peter Tonguette, Senses of Cinema

2005 Recommended Films
Rick Curnutte, The Film Journal

Best Films of 2003
Jaime Christley

Quotes


“With religious films tending toward either propaganda or satire, ‘All the Ships at Sea’ arrives like a gust of crisp sea air. With its searching discussion of faith lost and found, this highly impressive second feature by former film critic Dan Sallitt follows the tradition of Dreyer, Bergman and Bresson, and is distinguished by two exceptional lead performances and an unusually rigorous aesthetic…the uncompromising pic merits the attention of festivals, cinematheques and new-director showcases...a hypnotic study in differing beliefs and ways of explaining the world…to encounter characters this authentically self-aware and introspective in an American film is rare…As Bovee and Meeks create a very believable sisterly bond -- one in which each gesture and word seems weighted with volumes of an unspoken past – pic achieves a rare intensity.”—Scott Foundas, Variety

“The dialogue is absolutely wonderful, brilliant, discreet, moving. This man, Dan Sallitt, has really found his own voice, which is so rare. Perhaps it is because of the casting of the films, but I couldn't stop thinking about Bergman. But Bergman's characters need to be incredibly brutal or cruel or miserable, need to reach an Absolute or the Forbidden to feel alive. Sallitt paints characters who need—now—to reach some peace to be back in life. The same archness, same craving for an absolute, but in two such different ways.”—Arnaud Desplechin, director of Esther Kahn, Kings and Queen, and My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument

"Among (Method Fest)'s strongest offerings, in terms of performance and screenwriting, is Dan Sallitt's 65-minute chamber drama All the Ships at Sea, in which a pair of tormented siblings (Strawn Bovee and Edith Meeks) whose metaphysical storm shelters have begun to collapse about them attempt—in ways both spoken and unspoken, and in either case possibly futile— to ease each other through their respective crises of faith...Not to be missed"—Ron Stringer, L.A. Weekly

"Mapping the tumultuous divide between traditional and charismatic faiths that is one of the central facts of our age, Dan Sallitt's All the Ships at Sea treats its subject with the kind of intelligence and high style we're accustomed to seeing in the films of Eric Rohmer."—Bill Krohn, American correspondent, Cahiers du Cinema

“Dan Sallitt’s newest creation is a 64-minute wonder that deserves to be seen and discussed by any who appreciate thoughtful, artistic cinema.”—Zach Campbell, 24fps

“A spiritual character study on par with the work of Robert Bresson.  A stunning study of the nature and fallacy of faith.”—Rick Curnutte, The Film Journal Blog

“A beautifully written and performed movie, with a sure-handed, expressive use of composition, editing, blocking, and design.”—David Schwartz, programmer, American Museum of the Moving Image

“A deeply felt, wonderfully written and thought-provoking film.”—Ron Tibbett, Magnolia Independent Film Festival

“Intricately realized…a thoughtful rumination on religion and spirituality.”—Longbaugh Film Festival

"Compelling dialogue...fascinating and dense...strong performances by Strawn Bovee and Edith Meeks anchor a theological discussion that is both personal and profound."—Riverrun International Film Festival

“A strong and emotionally charged drama which takes an unflinching look at faith and family.”—Filmstock International Film Festival

“An immaculately written and directed film.  Edith Meeks gives possibly the finest performance I've seen all year.”—Peter Tonguette, A_Film_By Yahoo! group

“Pure pleasure…Watching and listening to Strawn Bovee and Edith Meeks is like listening to two great jazz soloists jamming, in perfect tune with each other…Woody Allen would cut off his right arm to be able to make a film like this, but he doesn't have the intelligence, the taste or the actresses.”—Bill Krohn, A_Film_By Yahoo! group

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