The title of this post is a lie in at least two ways: Girl Walk // All Day is neither new nor on Netflix.
But I only just came across Girl Walk (so it’s new to me). It’s readily available for your viewing pleasure (free on Vimeo and YouTube, so that’s even better than a paid streaming service for our purposes here). And the film is a goddamn delight. Go watch it right now. Or if you’ve already seen it, go watch it again.
A semi-choreographed, semi-improv, semi-narrative set to Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk)’s infectious “All Day”, Jacob Krupnick’s Girl Walk // All Day is, according to the film’s website, “a feature-length dance music video and tale of urban exploration that follows three dancers across New York City. They turn the city’s sidewalks, parks and architecture into an evolving stage as they spread their joy of movement.”
Girl Walk // All Day is also, according to esteemed if rather unconventional critic David Ehrlich, the 10th best movie of the century. He’s not wrong.
It was also the Movie of the Month for June on Swampflix, a friend of the site, and those good folks have lots of interesting things to say. I will only add that if you are a fan of musicals, or a fan of mashups, or a fan of fun in general, here’s the movie for your weekend.
There’s a keen eye for color and contrast, and a savvy sensibility for pacing, behind the jaw-dropping movement, but you’d be forgiven if you didn’t even notice, because you were too busy grinning like a fool or started dancing yourself.
Long story short: it feels silly to write dry prose about something so vital. Just go watch. You’ll be smiling for days.
Quick Picks (that actually are streaming on Netflix)
(1) A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence
Two traveling salesmen attempt to sell gag gifts to profoundly disinterested potential customers. Phones ring and people ignore whatever is transpiring in front of them, routinely deadpanning, “I’m glad you’re doing fine” to whoever is on the other end. At one point, the film stops for a while because an army commandeers it. Roy Andersson’s pitch-black comedy (is it even a comedy? is it funny?) will satisfy any absurdist cravings you might feel over the holiday weekend.
2) Roman Holiday
There are still few more enjoyable ways to lose two hours than traipsing about Rome with paparazzo Cary Grant and runaway princess Audrey Hepburn.
In the mood for something a little edgier? Peter Strickland’s visually stunning and thematically scandalous love-story-of-a-sort might work. Just be warned: urinating into your lover’s mouth plays a much more prominent role here than in Roman Holiday (apart from the infamous director’s cut, but the less said about that, the better).
Perhaps you’ve got a few younger ones in tow and are looking for a change of pace from whatever movie they’ve insisted on watching 5 times today already. In that case, The Duke of Burgundy is probably a terrible idea, so how about Tomm Moore’s ravishingly lovely The Secret of Kells? Drawing on Irish folklore, full of magic and wonder, and completely transfixing, you’ll enjoy it as much as they will. It really is fun for the whole family.