Screen Daily - A glance at the multi-tasking names in the credits is enough to show just how homemade New York film-maker Josh Safdie’s debut film is. And at just 68 minutes, it challenges the definition of full-length feature. But it would be a shame to hold either limitation against it, as The Pleasure Of Being Robbed is a charming indie title, suffused with the spirit of the French New Wave of the early sixties and possessed of a quirky likeability that has as much to do with co-writer Eleonore Hendricks’ delicate performance as an urban vagabond who likes to steal things just for the hell of it, as with Safdie’s sure command of tone.
Premiering at Austin’s SXSW festival before moving to its Directors’ Fortnight closing night slot, this divertissement with its Super 8 aesthetic reminds us that the best low-budget filmmaking can deliver a celluloid freshness that big productions lack. But the film’s grungy look and ultra-slim running time is bound to limit its theatrical potential. Presenting the film (as happened in Cannes) as part of a package with Josh’s film-maker brother Benny’s 13-minute short The Acquaintances Of A Lonely John could be a fix for the running-time issue, but outside of New York, festivals and specialist cineclub are still going to be the main distribution model…[Full Story]
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