McNamara must be freezing.
Maureen McNamara at the Sunday afternoon opening of her film Hot Town/Cool City in the MFAH's refrigerated basement auditorium. A lot of people I know are in it, but the Oscar for best performance easily goes to a stranger: the sleepy guy at the Vietnamese sandwich shop.
This is McNamara's first film, and it's a big one. It's a great first attempt, but Hot Town/Cool City was squeezed out on a tight budget, and it shows. Little filler clips, cover abrupt transitions. The people interviewed on camera never have a chance to get really comfortable before their time's up. It's also lopsided; the film features many of the funky, arty spots I frequent, but then I'm a middle-aged white guy involved in the arts. I moved to Houston from Northampton, Massachusetts to escape being surrounded by people like me.
