Memphis

Eerie and evocative, this second feature from indie auteur Tim Sutton serves up a cinematic poem about a city and a state of mind. The ostensible story is of a failing musician named Willis (Willis Earl Beal) who is facing a crisis of confidence on the eve of a recording session in perhaps the most musically rich city in the world. Just as important is the film's mysterious mood during this voyage of self-discovery. With the camera and microphone as both guide and companion, Willis roams the streets, churches, recording studios, and train yards of Memphis, seeking not only inspiration, but also existential redemption. Sutton's composition of mesmerizing visuals becomes a kind of emotional soul food for Willis and for viewers, as grace is gleaned from children, preachers, lovers, and others, even as the film seems to skirt the realm of magic. The expressive soundtrack of bluesy R&B and fervent gospel music (most of it written and performed by Beal) heightens the contemplative mysticism in this daring semi-experimental film that offers a genuinely unique American vision. Highly recommended. (T. Fry)