Above And Below

The montage of Mr. Steiner's movie actively looks for links among his subjects: fierce self-sufficiency, absent but not forgotten family, and unachieved dreams. But the most stirring moments can be the stillest ones ...

The film is a wonder of desert skies, slick tunnels, bumptious fence- and wall-climbing, and occasional staged reveries.

Without the slightest sense of mockery, Steiner embraces the often-comedic details of their lives while revealing the ways in which they seem to have their priorities straight.

Less than impressive film.

...Above and Below is a work of slick artistry but at the cost of something truly transcendent.

Errol Morris appears to serve as the inspiration for Nicolas Steiner's documentary, which possesses some of that director's artistry but lacks his inquisitive spirit.

Its two hours become overwrought with cutesy flashes that flit along the edges of the honest, hardscrabble tales Steiner has unearthed.

The documentary lingers on silences and reveals its subjects only through moments of quotidian behavior.

Above and Below is an immersive viewing experience that requires patience and open-mindedness, but it's richly rewarding for those that make it though to the end.

The film is beautifully shot by cinematographer Markus Nestroy, and while perhaps rather languid at times there is a certain poetry to these unusual lives.