This is a most unusual art film. It is not for kids, eager for action and gore, nor is it a chick flick, although there are overtones of such sentiment. It's a believable film, beautifully filmed in Oregon, about a stubborn old man whose pride, eccentricity, and self-pity shake up his family and his small town. The movie is billed as a comedy, but there are few laughs. The genius of the film is in its acting and photography. Arkin is just one of the superb actors who make matters almost look like reality television. The shots of rural and small town Oregon (north of Portland along the Columbia) are memorable. The story begins slowly (after 20 minutes I couldn't make out what was going on) and then, in due course, reveals the dimensions of the plot. How could such a distinguished film be made in this era of crass pandering to the majority? I'm sure that it lost money. (Filmed in 2003, it was released three years later.) But serious students of film do not want to miss this little gem.
Review of Raising Flagg
