Time Out of Mind - B

Unrated, 117 minutes

Being homeless presents itself with many challenges, and in New York City even more challenges. That's the subject of the leisurely but powerful character-driven new drama "Time Out of Mind," written and directed by Oren Moverman of "Rampart" and "The Messenger" fame. Richard Gere is George, a homeless, mentally-ill man who has been unable to hold a job for years. He drifts through the city looking for food, alcohol, and shelter and tries to make contact with his estranged daughter (Jena Malone). Eventually George takes advantage of some of the social services provided by the city of New York, but has challenges with legalities of the system. Along the way, he befriends a fellow homeless man (Ben Vereen) who claims to have been a successful jazz musician. "Time Out of Mind" is a low-key, slow-moving and well-acted drama about the provocations of living on the street in New York City, with an especially moving performance from Gere, cast against type as the older, homeless man literally shuffling from one homeless shelter to another. The deliberate tone, pacing and photography give the film a loose feel; Moverman and his cinematographer Bobby Bukowski keep the camera lingering in scenes - even in simple ones such as sitting at a bar or a piano or in a chair - much longer than necessary, to the point that it becomes uncomfortable and uneasy, though that is exactly the point it's making about homelessness - that it's uncomfortable and uneasy. "Time Out of Mind" is  occasionally too unhurried and a little too downbeat, and while it's statements about the homeless are mostly neutral politically, they're still poignant ones, especially when it comes to family. There are many, many characters on the streets, and they filter in and out of the movie too quickly, blink and you'll miss a barely recognizable Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer") or Steve Buscemi, in a very brief cameo at the beginning of the movie; most memorable are Vereen, as the chatty supposed ex-musician who forces his friendship upon George, and Malone as his long-suffering daughter, who may or may not want anything to do with him: their final scene is especially a touching one, a poignant statement for someone who's unsure where he's going next. The satisfying but gloomy "Time Out of Mind" is a worthy tale, though I wish it were given a wider release and a push for awards consideration, especially for Gere and Vereen.