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5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. My Uncle from America remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, I watched My Uncle from America last night. Is it worth your time? Honestly, that depends on your tolerance for black-and-white films that move at the speed of a tired turtle.
If you're into stuffy, old-school dramas, you’ll probably find something to love here. If you need a fast-paced plot or anything resembling modern editing, you’re gonna hate it. It’s definitely not for everyone.
There’s a strange, quiet energy to this whole thing. It feels less like a polished movie and more like someone just pointed a camera at a bunch of people and hoped for the best. Some of the reaction shots last way too long. Like, I started wondering if the actors just forgot to stop acting.
There's this one scene where a character is just staring out a window. It goes on for probably twenty seconds. I checked my phone twice, looked back, and he was still staring. It was almost funny.
It reminds me a bit of the aimless wandering in A Daughter of Destiny, where the plot kind of just sits there and breathes for a while. Not that it's bad, it’s just... patient. Painfully patient.
The costumes are actually pretty interesting if you look close. There’s a hat in the third act that looks like it’s fighting for its life against gravity. I couldn't stop looking at it.
The movie gets way better whenever it stops trying to be a serious drama. When the characters actually argue, the energy spikes. It’s like the actors were bored too and finally decided to wake up.
It’s a bit like watching Broadway Babies if you stripped away all the music and left only the grumpy conversations. There's no grand message here. It’s just people being people, which is both the best and worst part.
Anyway, I probably wouldn't watch it again. But I’m glad I saw it. It feels like a piece of history that’s just barely hanging on. 📽️