Flirt

There's a beguiling throwaway quality to Flirt that has the effect of making it stick with you.

This is in some ways my favorite Hartley picture - because it takes the most risks and gives the mind the most to do.

For Hartley, the third time is definitely not the charm.

Like many other cultural experiments (minimalist art, "Finnegan's Wake," the Chicago Tribune's new Friday section), it is more amusing to talk about than to experience.

Flirt has its moments, and Ewell and Nikaidoh are auspicious additions to the Hartley rep company. But Flirt will appeal mostly to Hartley completists. [23 Aug 1996]

Flirt fails because the basic story isn't very good and its retelling adds only incidental insights. [11 Oct 1996]

Hal Hartley's innovative comedy-drama is more ambitious than successful, but it deserves credit for trying something genuinely unusual.