Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater

A treat for connoisseurs and scholars of American art-house cinema, director Gabe Klinger’s documentary is a freewheeling, discursive, close-up portrait of two very different filmmakers: the stylistically promiscuous Texan auteur Richard Linklater and the older, more experimental, more formally austere Wisconsin native James Benning. Friends and mutual admirers for decades, the pair spend a relaxed week together exploring their shared interests and obsessions, from baseball to deconstructing time onscreen. Klinger deploys archive stills and vintage footage to great effect, teasing out both the common ground and contrasts between these two unique artists.