4. Hal Hartley
You may have heard of Hal Hartley because I’m assuming you know Noah Baumbach, because you know, and love, Parker Posey (the actress) and she’s appeared in both filmmaker’s work. If not, well first I think you need to rent Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming because, along with Whit Stillman, who didn’t make this list because he just simply hasn’t made enough films (though, come to think of it, he probably should have replaced Rebecca Miller, even though I love her work… I’m full of regret), defines an important voice in American cinema. One that could possibly trace it’s lineage back through F. Scott Fitzgerald to James Thurber and Mark Twain.
The rhythms in a Hal Hartley film are unmistakable and unmistakably American in their timbre and humanity of inquiry. There isn’t a bad film on this list, but I would still start at the beginning so you have enough context to really appreciate the later works.
The List:
Moving the Arts (2010) (in production)
This is one of my favorite Hartley film but it's hard to ignore what he's been up to lately
Accomplice (2010) (V)
Adventure (2010) (V)
A/Muse (2010) (V)Implied Harmonies (2010) (V)
The Apologies (2010) (V)
**Fay Grim (2006)
**The Girl from Monday (2005)
The Sisters of Mercy (2004) (V)
No Such Thing (2001)
Kimono (2001)
The New Math(s) (2000)
**The Book of Life (1998)
**Henry Fool (1997)
**Flirt (1995)
**Amateur (1994)
Iris (1994) (V)
NYC 3/94 (1994)
Opera No. 1 (1994)
**Flirt (1993)
**Simple Men (1992)
Theory of Achievement (1991)
**Ambition (1991/II)
**Surviving Desire (1991)
**Trust (1990)
**The Unbelievable Truth (1989)
Dogs (1988)
The Cartographer’s Girlfriend (1987)
Kid (1984)
** Denotes essential viewing from this director
