'Time Out Of Mind': EW review

Visible in almost every frame of Time Out Of Mind, Richard Gere stars as a homeless man named George who drifts through New York City, bouncing from abandoned apartments and ER waiting rooms to homeless shelters and government offices. Written and directed by Oren Moverman, the story itself is almost plotless, and George’s days soon blend together as he wakes up, wanders the city, and finds a place to sleep at night. Little by little, the film reveals pieces of George’s backstory: his name, his estranged daughter, his previous life.

Time Out Of Mind keeps George at a distance, often literally. Much of the film is shot through windows, looking out on the street from coffee shops or apartments. At one point, Moverman captures Gere in public on hidden cameras as he wanders through Grand Central Station, and even looking like Richard Gere (albeit a rough-around-the-edges Richard Gere), he’s entirely ignored.

The film’s not entirely effective as drama. The pacing and sparse plot keep it from being truly immersive, and it’s not exactly a film designed to spur social change, either. Instead, it’s worth watching for Gere alone. Even though Time Out Of Mind’s two-hour run time can be tough to sit through, Gere gives a subtle, layered performance as a man barely existing on the edges of society. B