On December 18, 1974, a time when New York City was dirty, crime-ridden and very close to financial ruin, Hujar arrives at Rosenkrantz's East 94th street apartment to tell her about his day. He reveals meeting with an Elle magazine editor about photos from a job; set off to photograph Allen Ginsberg for an assignment, develops negatives, takes a nap and receives calls from friends, Susan Sontag and Fran Lebowitz. And while this might sound fairly routine, Hujar goes into vividly, colorful details, while holding nothing back, about his slightly neurotic, daily routines; dietary particulars; unvarnished opinions on the people he encounters and struggles trying to make a living as a freelance photographer.
And while "Peter Hujar's Day" is only seventy-six minutes long, the film still feels overextended, struggling to maintain momentum and energy through the extensive discourse. In an attempt to keep us visually engaged during Hujar's discussions, we change rooms in the apartment and head up to the roof of the building a couple of times yet the film still remains static. This is largely because we are not experiencing an actual conversation: just Hujar going on about what he thinks, which is exactly what he's been asked to do. Rosenkrantz might ask a question or interject a thought or two but the spotlight is completely on Hujar. This leaves Hall, always a commanding screen presence, with very little to do beyond simply nodding and looking deeply engaged. And the charismatic Whishaw does what he can as Hujar, revealing him to be an adept conversationalist with a charming eccentricity, but only has limited success in fully drawing us into his in-depth chatter. "Peter Hujar's Day" is not nearly as accomplished as Sachs' previous works ("Keep the Lights On", "Passages") yet the film still captures an intriguing atmosphere that's intimate and languid.
Since this is Jarmusch behind the camera, these stories are more loosely structured as character studies with no real plot. Skateboarders, tea, water and Rolex watches are some of the things that offer a subtle connection to each quirky vignette. And his impressive all-star cast is certainly able to deliver emotional clarity and understated depth of feeling to their characters. But I have to say, I'm surprised that "Father Mother Sister Brother" was selected as the big winner at Venice. It just doesn't feel like a feature by Jarmusch that displays the filmmaker at the peak of his powers, in fact if his name was not attached, I don't think this film would have received nearly as much attention. Settling on entertaining yet routine narratives, Jarmusch doesn't really push himself enough to instill more inventiveness in these fairly common family conflicts.
Born in Manchester, England, Lee (Amanda Seyfried) had a life of formidable hardships since her childhood, then through her marriage to Abraham (Christopher Abbott) where she gave birth and lost four children before each would reach the age of one year. She found solace when she joined a church run by the Wardleys (Scott Handy, Stacy Martin) which was notable for the parishioners to chant and dance as a way to rid their bodies of sin. It was believed that Lee's arrival was a sign of the second coming of God, becoming known as "Mother", and would begin a new religious movement that was referred to as the Shakers. Having traumatic experiences regarding sexuality in her life, Lee was convinced that in their faith sexual relations should be forbidden, even in marriage, as the only way to find true salvation. After several arrests and spending many days in jail for blasphemy, Lee decides to leave England and take her small group of committed followers to America for religious freedom and a fresh opportunity to share their faith. Yet their arrival to the New World is far from welcoming as Lee and her flock are met at various times with combative skepticism and horrific violence.
The film reveals how easily religions can take shape, through one individual's whims and personal worldview, to offer an adaptationist view of Christian theology. But you must have a compelling and charismatic individual at the center in order to convince followers that this is the true path to follow. Since women have rarely evangelized, many were certainly dubious of Lee's claims. Yet she was still able to influence a growing number of apostles through her passionate devout faith despite the impracticalities of her stern insistence of celibacy. Seyfried delivers a mesmerizing performance as a woman, docile yet tough, who uses her unwavering faith to create a sense of personal control and authority over her life. Let's be honest, this is still not readily offered to women in today's world yet was even less possible in Lee's time. With a beguiling, offbeat style, "The Testament of Ann Lee" examines a seemingly inconsequential woman, a name largely forgotten through male dominated history, and bringing forward the amazing story of what she was able to accomplish with limited leverage and steely self-possession.
