Richard Gere stars as George, a homeless man, on the streets of New York City after a crash in the economy.
He is left without a home, identity documentation, and a place to go. Time Out of Mind is a grim, depressing visual and emotional experience into the lives of the many homeless that exist in our society. Oren Moverman of Rampart and The Messenger delivers yet another thought-provoking film that keeps audience in their seats.
The perspective of the film was as close to real life as you can get with the focus on cinematography, the cameras shot Gere with hidden cameras on the streets as he convinced passerbys in his immersive role. The audience gains insight into the personal history of the character, he has an estranged daughter (played by Jena Malone) and a family tragedy. George is engulfed in memories that seem to drift in and out of his mind as if he is lost in time in his own consciousness. Not surprisingly, Gere’s acting is unbelievably authentic in portraying this role. He makes the plight of a homeless man seem relatable and engaging, giving the audience a sense of awareness and self-reflection of what it might like to be misplaced. Universally, beyond the plot, everyone can relate to the fear of not belonging somewhere which is the prevailing theme in the movie.
We had a chance to catch a few words with Richard Gere at the premiere of Time Out of Mind at BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn:
“I think all of us have a yearning for some place in this world, however you define that, if you’re looking for a husband, a wife, a family, a community, a tribe. I think that’s really the central mystery of this movie, that we’re like that, whether we’re homeless, displaced, or we’re isolated in the city … we don’t have friends or we don’t have friends. Where do I belong, where’s my place in the universe?”
Time Out of Mind opens in theaters September 9.
