Of Time and the City (2009)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Liverpool Sharks

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

It's difficult to go into Of Time and the City without knowing a bit about what it's for and who Terence Davies is. And it's difficult to know just who Terence Davies is, given that he's made just five features (and one collection of shorts) in 25 years, and only one of them, The House of Mirth, is available on DVD. Moreover, he's one of the quietest, most elusive and most interior of auteurs. His subjects include nostalgia, movies and homosexuality, and if it's difficult to see his earlier works, it's equally difficult to fully appreciate his new ones. Davies' new film originated as the result of an organization designed to promote low-budget filmmaking in Liverpool. It's a kind of love letter to his hometown, though "love" is used loosely. He's as angry and disappointed as he is affectionate. Using quotes from great writers as well has his own narration, he rails in his polite British accent about class, labor and discrimination, over stock footage, news footage and a collection of still photos from the past century in Liverpool. Running only 74 minutes, the film occasionally achieves beautiful states of reverie but at other times, my mind wandered.