Frank Ross's Hohokam is the most minimal of his four released films. Whereas Quietly on By focused on one main character and his relationship with both his family and his close knit group of friends, Hohokam focuses on about a week in one couple's relationship. Queitly didn't have a conventional plot in the Hollywood sense, but it was apparent that Ross took great attention to detail about his characters' relationships and where things were heading. Hohokam still exists in that same space, giving off a sense that, for all the apparent improvisation and lack of plot, there is a perceptive eye behind it all, making sure that what we see is important. And what we see is a week in the life of a couple, enjoying each other's company, slogging through their nine-to-fives, fighting over things real people fight over, making up, and essentially making things work.
Hohokam is Ross's shortest film to date, and so deceptively simple it seems to resist any sort of analysis. Or maybe I'm just letting myself off the hook. Whichever the case, I highly recommend it.
Also: It was Frank Ross Week on Kentucker Audley's No Budge site a couple weeks back. I would have participated, but my internet was restricted to an iPhone until a few days ago. No Budge screened his new one, Tiger Tail in Blue, and it looks like the wheels are turning and more screenings will start to pop up in the months ahead. Here's a brief interview at Filmmaker.
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