Meanwhile

Fans of Hal Hartley's quirky indie films are likely to appreciate this low-key, hour-shy intimate portrait of two days in the life of Joe Fulton (DJ Mendel), a man who can fix anything—except his own romantically-messy and financially-strapped life. Essentially framed as a mini-road-trip Homeric odyssey, Meanwhile follows Joe on a journey from one end of Manhattan to the other, as he repairs a kitchen sink, auditions for a drummer position in a band (noticing as he plays that his shoes are more working class than those of other members of the group), tries to dissuade a potential suicide jumper on the Brooklyn Bridge, and most of all, pursues a business deal to import windows (glass, not Microsoft) from Germany. Unfortunately, Joe's bank account has just been frozen due to underpaid tax dating from 2005—and the lack of funds becomes a constant underlying problem during his travels. Along the way, Joe meets with his brother (Joe: “How are the kids?” Brother: “Expensive.”), a former flame, and a bar philosopher (“A man gets a smell about him at a certain point—the odor of failure.”), among others. An engaging film that showcases Hartley's trademark intense attention to everyday life, this is recommended. (R. Pitman)