I think I'm gonna join the mumblecore hating club. It really is only good for those who make it, watching it is too often a vain effort. This one is the worst I've suffered, not much more than an uninspired home video without a script: the ultimate waste of time. Random events and improvised dialogues, redundant and irrelevant, a bunch of friends playing to be actors. If a line or two might be interesting, it's by pure chance. Character decisions are pointless, now I like you now I don't, they could be doing just about anything else and it wouldn't matter. I can't believe I watched the whole thing. I remember a time when low budget films weren't necessarily an endless self-absorbed rambling and characters would actually do things, go places.
... View MoreHannah Takes The Stairs has poor production values, a slow pace, boring locations, and no actors you have ever heard of, and that's what makes this film so special. This is clearly a film made by a group of friends and artists, exploring their lives and the art of film-making simultaneously. It's simplistic rawness allows for an honest, and at times voyeuristic tone that examines the simple difficulties of young people learning to make grown-up decisions. This film is certainly not for everyone, but if you can forgive the ultra-low budget blemishes it is very worthwhile. In many ways, Hannah Takes the Stairs is the future of film-making that Francis Ford Coppola predicted in Hearts of Darkness.
... View MorePlease take the movie camera away from these people. Whenever I have the unfortunate opportunity to watch a "mumblecore" movie I regret it instantly. I want to be engaged in a film that I watch, be it a small independent film or a blockbuster. This film does none of that. I hope that this type of film stays underground where it should remain. It is painfully clear that this was shot without a script. Maybe in a few years those involved in this film can do that when they have more practice. Yuck. Andrew Bujalski does not deserve the accolades he receives for his film-making. Save yourself a couple hours. Do not watch this movie.
... View MoreWhat's the cheapest way to make a movie? Have two actors in a room talk to each other. That seems to be the case with "Hannah Takes the Stairs", an ultra-low budget film making the rounds in the art house theatres.The film is rather claustrophobic since most of the action takes place in just a few rooms, with what appears to be the occasional "stolen shot" outside. I say stolen because filming permits in a big city are rather expensive and the outdoor set ups have a "quick, get the shot and get out before the cops see us" feel to them (these shots only run a few seconds, which is the main indication).The characters talk about their lives and work, talk some more, have sex, talk some more, talk, talk, etc. The occasional nude scene keeps the audience awake, but with no real story to propel the film along I found it to be quite a snoozer.Not too surprisingly, all dialog was improvised—-and it shows. Scenes ramble on for quite some time and even though the film is less than an hour-and-a-half, it seems quite longer.Filmmakers, please write a script and actually have a plot. Without it, the most attractive actors and locations in the world aren't worth much if you can't keep your audience interested.
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