Time Out of Mind

Writer-director Oren Moverman's tale of a homeless man with memory problems stars Richard Gere as George Hammond, who is forced to suffer the indignities of vagrancy while wandering the streets of New York. In order to obtain a meal voucher and bed for the night at a Manhattan men's shelter, George is forced to answer probing questions about his personal history. Amidst similar unfortunates, George finds himself isolated and adrift—until he begins to converse with a garrulous fellow (Ben Vereen). And when George accosts a young woman (Jena Malone) in a laundromat, it turns out that she's his estranged daughter. Time Out of Mind never reveals exactly why George is homeless, choosing to focus instead on his travails in plodding, minimalist fashion. Improvising much of the time, Gere delivers an anguished performance in this socially-conscious film that unfortunately demands a lot of viewer patience for very little payoff. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Oren Moverman and star Richard Gere, a “making-of” featurette (3 min.), a PSA by Gere, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven character drama.] (S. Granger)