The governing principle here is mainly that of the virtue of slow cinema – many scenes in this film last slightly longer than they would in a more orthodox version of this story, but rather than making the film laborious, the approach allows us to luxuriate in every intimate moment, which is so beautifully captured by director of photography Alfonso Herrera Salcedo who works closely with Rutherford to bring his serious but fascinating ideas to life. Rutherford has composed an unconventionally moving dose of poignant Americana, one that reminds us of many of the iconoclastic independent filmmakers that preceded him and likely inspired his work in terms of both form and content.
Whether it is a matter of seeking closure or simply finding some direction forward, Rutherford’s fascinating character study is a vibrant collection of ideas, condensed into a simple but compelling story of a father and son attempting to form a relationship, and realizing that there is more common ground between them than they expected at the outset.Īs is often the case with films such as this, A Perfect Day for Caribou is far from a conventional film despite being heavily indebted to generations of carefully maintained traditions, which the director is carefully subverting throughout the film. A Perfect Day for Caribou is a film about physical and emotional migration, looking at a pair of characters that have lives that are perpetually in motion, searching frantically for some clues towards the future as well as answers to the questions that have plagued them for years. The film is a sparse but beautifully poetic drama focused on a hopeless wanderer coming into contact with his estranged son (as well as the young grandson of whose existence he only recently learned), and their efforts to forge a relationship from almost nothing as a result of several years of separation. It is often true that the most effective works of art are those that are most simple – and this is the perfect way to begin a discussion of A Perfect Day for Caribou, the feature-length directorial debut of Jeff Rutherford, who immediately establishes himself as not only an exciting new talent but also an essential young voice in contemporary cinema.
“ A Perfect Day for Caribou is a beautiful and poetic film that may start as a charming slice-of-life realist drama, but steadily becomes a more complex character study.”
Locarno 2022 review: A Perfect Day for Caribou (Jeff Rutherford)
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