A moody and atmospheric film that is told from a girl's (Nasia's) point of view, as she recounts her nostalgic memories about a childhood crush named George. Although George has a soft spot in his head which prevents him from engaging in rough, "boyish" activities, he seems indestructible and larger than life itself in the eyes of the admiring Nasia. George Washington is the impressive directorial debut of David Gordon Green, who seems to have attended the "Terrence Malick school of filmmaking." There are definite "Malickian" devices here: most notably, the voice over; the evocative music; and the sumptuous cinematography (several scenes are shot during the dusk). The cumulative effect of this film effectively evokes a nostalgia that we might all have towards our own childhood (or first love). The child actors are all very good and at times it doesn't seem like they're acting at all. Some of the lines seems so spontaneous in their delivery that it is hard to believe that they were scripted. For example, in one scene Nasia and George exchange small talk on top of the roof of an apartment building. You could tell all along that she admires George greatly. Then suddenly, she says "I hope you live forever"--said with such naturalness that you might think she made that up on the spot. At that moment a sustained, soul-lifting and evocative music plays in the background. There are many such tender moments in this film. Although George Washington might not be for everyone, those who like slow, moody, beautiful, and contemplative films might enjoy it--actually, savor it deeply. Without simply retreading the same old territory covered by directors like Malick, Green has created an original and lovely film that taps into the nostalgia of childhood in all of us.
Review of George Washington
