Amateur (Hal Hartley)

Rating: **½

Hartley has a substantial cult following, but I've never gotten more than the mildest enjoyment from his films. I was hoping Amateur might be the exception, but once again I found pleasure only in isolated moments--a brief exchange of dialogue here, an off-kilter composition there. The deadpan style of acting Hartley favors is supplemented here with a fair amount of what can only be called Zaniness, and I just didn't find it as funny as many others seem to. Your mileage may vary. Parker Posey and an actor whose name I didn't catch appear in my favorite scene.