Hal Hartley’s latest film is another wryly funny, slow-motion screwball comedy that seems more overtly autobiographical (or at least self-referential) than ever. It’s also a little bit of a return to form— steering away from the larger-than-life playful, pseudo-thrillers of the Henry Fool trilogy and back towards the smaller-scale inter-personal films of his early career.

Hartley regular Bill Sage (SIMPLE MEN) plays Joe Fulton, a writer/ director of romantic comedies who, feeling in a rut, finds himself looking for a new direction. Thinking that working with his hands, outdoors, in nature, might give him the change of pace he needs, he applies for a job in the local church graveyard. Through a series of misunderstandings, missed connections, half-heard details, and incorrect assumptions, his friends and family—including his devoted niece, famous girlfriend, genial ex-wife, lawyer, building super, and two misguided aspiring filmmakers—all wind up thinking that he’s dying and show up at his apartment for a makeshift pre-wake.

As charming, heartfelt, and compelling as any of Hartley’s previous films, WHERE TO LAND is a treat for existing fans and should serve as a gateway for new devotees to discover his singular body of work and the many pleasures that it offers. [NH]