This Is Martin Bonner

Approaching sixty, Martin Bonner is getting ready to move to a small American town and start his life over. The divorced Australian father of two adult children has just found work in a Christian nonprofit organization which helps parolees reenter society. One of these is Travis Holloway, a shy fortysomething who did twelve years for murder and is now gradually getting his bearings in a world without bars. Chad Hartigan’s second film is a gentle and realistic portrait of two men who may be uprooted but who are far from lost. Although inconspicuous, Hartigan’s directorial style is very carefully thought out. Lead actors Paul Eenhoorn and Richmond Arquette turn in masterful, sparsely emotional performances, while director of photography Sean McElwee’s largely static camera and the expressive musical score are other pluses in this fresh meditation on friendship and the possibility of getting a second wind in life. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)