Slacker (1990) - 8/10

Slacker is a weird film. Director and here, actor, Richard Linklater sets things rolling with a stream of consciousness-like opening dialogue in the back of a cab, before witnessing a weirdly orchestrated hit and run. This might be one of the more normal sequences. It’s very lo-fi but rather cleverly constructed. Long lingering shots, the camera moving through the scenes with minimal cuts. There are definite student film vibes to the look of it (spot the boom mic), but it’s packed with ideas and energy, although no particular narrative arc. Instead it pulls its pace from an ever moving cast, going about their daily lives, linking and interacting, talking, trying to make sense of their worlds. The common thread through the varying vignettes, is time, everyone appears to have loads of it. Using it to chat about themselves and anything that excites them. The acting is bad, bonkers or brilliant and the tone generally a bit nuts. It’s not clear if any of its scripted or if there’s just a loose scene starter and then it’s left to flow, but it’s oddly compelling. I’ve never been to Austin, they say it’s weird, this certainly paints that picture. The elements time and ideas are very much feeding off one another, it’s like a idealised philosophy laid out in film form. Not just one of course, all of them I think, but mostly conspiratorial or anti-establishment. The further we dig, the more normal it all seems though, well to a point. It’s more likely that as a viewer, you just become more comfortable as you’re immersed deeper. It’s interesting and entertaining, not something that should be taken lightly. It may appear raw, but there’s a lot to get your teeth in to. With no central focus, it’s about everything and nothing. A love letter to a weird town, with weird misfit outcasts sharing their weird ideas. Honestly quite brilliant.

8/10