I go to see a lot of Indie movies. For a few years I have really been tired of the crap that the big theaters and the Hollywoood marketing machine force on the public. I still see some of the big movies at the theaters, but I usually save them for DVD rentals.
So, for those of you who like Indie movies, and for those of you who might be fed up with the typical big formulaic Hollywood fare, below are a number of movies I have seen over the last few months that are worth checking out:
Once
Fantastic movie, one of the best, if not the best films I have seen this year.
It’s a musical, but not in your traditional sense. The musical numbers are about making and performing actual music, not using music numbers used to act out scenes.
The guy and the girl in the movie wrote and performed all the music. Takes place in Ireland. A really simple movie/story line, but that is part of what makes it good. I also read that the actors were encouraged to ad-lib a lot of the dialogue during filming, which makes it that much better and real.
The guy in the film was also the guitar player in the band in the movie The Commitments. I believe he is the lead singer/guitar player for the band The Frames in real life.
It is rated “R”, but I would definitely take my teenagers to see it. It has a good message. It got the R because the word f**k was used a number of times, but it was not in a vulgar or rude manner…just as part of the way people talk. No sex/nudity/drugs. It kills me that this movie got rated R due to a few words, yet movies like Hot Rod get PG-13, and gore-filled CSI is on TV…but whatever……
**Waitress **
This is a romantic comedy of sorts.
If you do not bake a pie, or at the very least go out and stuff your face with one after seeing this movie, then you are not human. Think what Sideways made you feel about wine, and you’ll get sort of the gist.
It is funny and quirky, but could be considered a little bit of a dark comedy. A good cameo by Andy Griffiths. The shots and the names of the pies this gal makes are really great.
It was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, and she also was one of the supporting actresses. This is notable because she was murdered during the final editing of this movie. I believe the homicide is still awaiting trial. Law & Order did an episode earlier this year that was based on the event. Basically an illegal immigrant got into a tussle with a fellow apartment tenant, and ended up killing her. Then hung her body from the shower to make it look like a suicide…. Which is what “allegedly” happened in Shelly’s case.
Rescue Dawn
This is a Vietnam POW movie, with a little bit of The Great Escape type feel to it. It is not really an action film per se, but focuses more on the human spirit and its will to survive. Really good movie here folks. I believe it is based on the real-life POW experience and escape of Dieter Dengler.
Excellent performances by the actors and a very good piece of filmmaking.
King of Kong: A Fist-full of Quarters
This is a documentary, and might be hard to find playing, as it is in limited release, but look for it. If you like human interest documentaries, this one is one of the best. Has all the classic ingredients. Good vs evil, underdog vs the champion, and a man’s struggle against the establishment.
It documents the attempt by a school teacher to break the world-record score in the old-school arcade game Donkey Kong.
It is a really well done movie and very engrossing. I have been to very few movies that the crowd was so involved in vocally…there was booing and cheering during the movie, and a standing ovation at the end. Maybe it was just a good crowd here in Austin, but I was feeling it to. The story definitely pulls you in.
Other similar human interest documentaries I can recommend (on DVD) are Crumb and American Dream. Check them out also.
Rocket Science
Sort of coming of age drama/comedy. Chronicles a kid in high school who stutters and his getting involved and competing in debate tournaments. It is about teenage love, struggling against adversity, and trying to fit in. Also gets into the whole high school debating scene.
Quite enjoyable and interesting.
Okay, there you have it. Please support you local Indie movies and the theaters that carry them. So many of these movies are really, really good, but never get their due. There is a lot of great heart, soul, stories, and art in many of these movies that can truly move you. It kills me that movies like Rush Hour 3 are the number one movie in the country, but movies like Once and Rescue Dawn barely make a splash with the general public.