Movie Review - 'The Lightkeepers'

The Lightkeepers Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, and Mamie Gummer Directed by Daniel Adams Rated PG

Period pieces are supposed to evoke bygone eras, not feel like they were made in them. Ultimately, the real failing of The Lightkeepers is that it seems not like a movie out of its time but rather a production made decades ago that just now was unearthed and put in theaters. Creaky, slow, and clumsily assembled, The Lightkeepers requires a significant undertaking just to navigate the hour-and-a-half from credits to credits. In a world of too much fast-paced editing, this one balances it all out, choosing far too often to take the scenic route. It's not all a lost cause; after all, the film does star Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, and Meryl's kid, Mamie Gummer. The movie is also something rarely seen these days; it's purposely quiet. I don't mean it's quiet in the sense that there's no dialogue, but rather that it is not boisterous or overzealous in its actions. Watching The Lightkeepers reminded me of a recent Independent Spirit Award nominee called Sweet Land. I had to watch it twice to really get it, and for some of the same reasons. The first time through, it didn't feel like it was contemporary, as beautiful as it was to look at. But the second time I watched it, I could see that the director wanted his story to feel like it came from the era it was representing. It was simple because its story was simple. I kept that in mind after The Lightkeepers caused me the same initial reaction. The difference, in my opinion, is that the film and its manufacture are simple because that's all it could muster. Dreyfuss plays Atkins, a crotchety lighthouse keeper on Cape Cod back in the early 20th century. He hates women. Here's one way it manifests himself: He has fired his assistants at the lighthouse simply for not hating women as much as he does. If you've ever seen a movie in your life, you don't need a lighthouse in the fog to guide you to the film's conclusion. It's like what they tell you about true-false tests, that if you see "never" or "always" in an question, the answer is false. For a movie, something that is never at the beginning usually moves to the other column by the time things wrap up. Because there's very little about the film's motives that are or remain obscured for long, the rather austere production elements become all the more ordinary, because there isn't a whole lot else to keep your mind busy. Dreyfuss is engaging in his largest role in years, and Danner is worth a glance, as she usually is. But the film isn't dealing with high enough highs or low enough lows, and as it creeps on by, you wonder how in the world the turtle actually ever beat the hare in that fabled race. Unless, of course, the hare stopped to watch The Lightkeepers and lost track of time.

Comments

[Brandon]

No Repomen review huh? Must be bad if the studio didn't screen it. What a shame.

[Peter]

Completely off-base. The Lightkeepers is a beautiful, moving film, well acted, well written, charming. The film is a breath of fresh air.

[Dol]

when I watch the lightkeepers movie then I felt its really interesting and a good story about the keeper of the house..

[Riley Bob]

Watched the Lightkeepers last night at the California Film Festival in Orinda, CA which was followed by a personal appearance by Richard Dreyfus in a Q&A session. This should tell it all...RD asked the audience if they liked the film to which everyone expectedly clapped. He then asked if he wasn't there did they like the film...very few claps followed by uncomfortable laughter. RD even admitted he and others do not expect the film to be received well. And for good reason. The MOST predictable story along with a truly lifeless plot. At one point I turned and jokingly asked my wife "how do you think our cat is doing at home" to which she replied "at least he's enjoying himself." That was the only point in the movie I laughed out loud.

[Josh]

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