AniInterview
Sorry, this movie sucks
Reptileenbu
Did you people see the same film I saw?
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
roy skillicorn
After Jeffrey came back from his first shooting with the "CaveDigger", I knew he was on to something. The character of Ra and his artistic obsessions, the unique perspectives of the work and of Ra from the people with whom he interacts, and the true grit of the environment in which he works are all captured exquisitely and completely in a way that only a director who is a true artist himself, could. Jeffrey Karoff puts people at ease as he rolls the camera as if it was always part of the natural milieu, thus capturing the subjects basic humanness. He guides them on a path to the unknown that eventually unfolds into a story that was always there but until then, hidden. That is Jeffrey's gift. Bravo. Encore.
ctkingson
Not only do we see the sinuous grace of these carved sandstone interiors and get the feel for how challenging they are to excavate, but we are let into the life of an eccentric and staunchly independent artist who nevertheless is a gentle and appealing soul. A man in his 60s carries a wheelbarrow and shovel deep into mountainous wilderness on his back; he works alone, underground, never knowing when a collapse might end his life; he worries about the safety of those who might try to recover his body. We meet some of his patrons and see their reaction to the unmovable force that he is when his artistic vision is challenged, but though some find him too formidable, others--friends and loved ones--sacrifice to help him along his path. The clarity of his understanding of his values, his humility when he doubts, the love he engenders, and the respect so many have for his vision make this movie extremely touching and thought provoking. The crisp cinematography ravishes with the beauty of the New Mexico sky and landscape, and the magical caves hidden inside it.
jyathome
At first blush, this film appears to be about an obsessive artist. The idiosyncrasy of his art (carving Gaudi-like chambers below the parched New Mexico desert) makes the subject matter seem even more obscure, even as you're drawn to its eerie beauty. But, like all the best documentaries, this movie is about much more. The stark land has drawn a cast of characters, each of whom is pursuing their life according to their own rules. These are not desert rats or misfits; you will likely recognize them as your more cerebrally- and spiritually-inclined neighbors. The director, Jeffrey Karoff, lets them describe the contours of their lives and interactions without the kind of editorial judgment too often imposed on arcane material like this. As a result, the viewer comes away with a gratifying bit of dislocation, seeing enigmatic depths to what at first seemed familiar territory. Ra Paulette's sprawling "caves" (an inadequate descriptor) become a metaphor for his own life and for the community that surrounds him: a strange and immersive experience, driven by dreams, hidden away in a sun-blasted vastness.
bob-rutledge
This is a documentary of a man who follows his own guide star, and creates beautiful art in an unlikely way. Ra Paulette lives in New Mexico, and fills his days carving beautiful, vaulted-ceiling caves in the soft sandstone. Without a background in architecture, art, or engineering, sometimes for himself, sometimes for others (though, as the movie points out, never quite "with" others - including his ex-wife and her new husband, and a number of patrons), he spends years on each project, producing a unique and breathtaking result. We never quite "see to the bottom" where his motives arise, and his inspirations are mysterious. But the results are almost spiritual. And we see there is more to come.
