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Cult Review
Archivist John
Senior Editor
Is 'Not So Long Ago' worth watching today? Short answer: yes, but with significant caveats. This film is a delightful, if dramatically inert, escape for history buffs and those with a deep affection for early cinema, but it will likely test the patience of viewers seeking contemporary pacing or complex character arcs.
It's a film designed for a very specific audience: those who relish the meticulous recreation of a bygone era and appreciate the subtle charms of silent-era storytelling. If you demand high stakes, rapid-fire dialogue, or morally ambiguous characters, this journey back to 1850s New York might feel more like a leisurely stroll than a captivating adventure. It prioritizes atmosphere and sentiment over narrative propulsion, making it a niche pleasure rather than a universal recommendation.
Stepping into the world of 'Not So Long Ago' is akin to opening a meticulously preserved antique locket – beautiful, intricate, and filled with the faint echoes of a past era. Directed with a clear affection for its subject matter, the film invites us to a 1850s New York City that feels both authentic in its visual detail and curiously idealized in its emotional landscape. It’s a film that asks us to slow down, to observe, and to perhaps, just for a moment, yearn for a time that never truly was as simple as we imagine.
At its core, the narrative follows a young woman (Jacqueline Gadsdon) whose perceptions of love are entirely colored by the romantic novels she devours. This premise, while fertile ground for satire or genuine emotional exploration, is handled with a delicate touch that often borders on the anemic. Her journey to choose between an earnest Bowery resident (Dan Crimmins) and an elegant aristocrat (Ricardo Cortez) serves less as a dramatic fulcrum and more as a convenient thread upon which to hang a tapestry of period details.
IMDb —
1922
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