THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING
(three stars)
New York ghost story.
Running time: 84 minutes. Not rated (mature subject matter). At the Two Boots Pioneer Theater, Avenue A and Third Street. Through Oct. 5.
THE eerie supernatural tale “The Cloud of Un knowing” opens with an out-of-focus shot of two people walking down a hallway toward the camera. What gives?
Richard Sylvarnes, a New York photographer turned filmmaker, takes his time telling us, dropping tantalizing hints as his feature progresses.
Using fractured narrative, he tells the story of a New York doctor (DJ Mendel) who suspects the spirit of his wife, who drowned in a horrific car accident, is possessing the body of a troubled patient (Miho Nikaido) in the “displaced persons ward” of the hospital where he works.
Unable to cope, the doctor seeks help from a charlatan fortune teller (Tho- mas Jay Ryan), whose predictions have a strange way of coming true.
Sylvarnes, who scripted, directed, edited and photographed this amazing first feature, makes spectacular use of digital video. There are close-ups galore, blurred and slanted images, and distorted sound.
“The Cloud of Unknowing” is a worthy debut for the Possible Films Collection, the new distribution company founded by indie director Hal Hartley.