Movie #128- "Slacker" (1991)

Many have said that "Seinfeld" was a show about nothing.  Granted, in its later years, it did develop story lines and plots though originally, it was about such mundane aspects of life like waiting for a table at a restaurant or looking for your car in a parking garage.  If "Seinfeld" was the show about nothing, then "Slacker" is the movie about nothing.
Director Richard Linklater made a splash in the independent film world with the release of "Slacker."  It was probably a film that resonated more in towns with a "hipster" population, most likely college towns, but not necessarily (although I had heard about the film, I wasn't living in that kind of surrounding).  It is a film without a plot and a revolving cast of characters.  It's a day in the life of Austin, Texas.  The best way to describe it is thus; image you have a video camera and you simply start filming.  You meet a person (or more), have a conversation, then pass the camera along.  Repeat this process until you have a 90 minute movie.
The pure simplicity of "Slacker" is its beautiful quality.  The lo-fi feel and variety of characters is what gives the film charm.  "Slacker" careens from individual to individual, providing a brief glimpse into their personality.  Don't like a character?  Don't worry, because you'll cross paths with a new one soon enough.  Conspiracies, philosophies, new age thinking, and music become part of the conversation (along with Madonna's pap-smear).  Linklater used a similar approach with "Dazed and Confused", although the narrative was more controlled and the focus was on a main group of kids.
This obviously isn't a film for everyone given the structure.  That is what drew me into "Slacker" given I didn't know what ideas would be expressed and the direction the movie was going to take me.  I'm hoping to check out Linklater's "Before Sunrise" trilogy at some point.  A unique piece of work.

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 122