4 Great Indie Films That Surprised Me, Mixed in with Some Mediocre Films
Last Wednesday night I continued my concert experience by driving down to Boston with a couple of friends/ newfound concert buddies after school (yup, only 3 days into the school year, I know, but I've done the down-and-back to Boston during the week many times before this, so I knew I could handle it). This time it was going to absolutely be worth it. We went to see Volcano Choir, which is Justin Vernon's (Bon Iver) side project (he's a busy man, with Bon Iver, collaborating with Kanye West, and also his other side project Shouting Matches). I've been dying to see him in concert and quite frankly I didn't care to what capacity I saw him, I knew any show of his would be amazing. And let me tell you, Volcano Choir (after hearing only a couple of their songs to begin with) did not disappoint. They put on one of the best, all around, performances. They had a great lighting show that really helped set the mood for each song. Their sound was incredible. I think it helped that they were in a small, club venue (Paradise, which continually impresses me). Justin Vernon didn't really speak much throughout the show; he really let the band take center-stage.
No one has posted a setlist from their show the other night, but here's a look at what they've been playing. NOTE: They did play an incredible version of Bon Iver's "Woods" which ran for probably about 10 minutes, and was certainly the highlight of the show, for me.
And now I've officially ended my first full week of school, back in Kindergarten and it's been great. I have such an awesome group of kids and I think it's going to be a really fun year.
During the week, I watched 4 good, indie films that were interesting and surprising.
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Film 253
"Electrick Children"
starring: Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, Liam Aiken, Billy Zane
written and directed by: Rebecca Thomas
Even with its slow-burning energy from the very beginning and all the way through, you can feel the sense of urgency burning within the story. Perhaps that's because its main character is a 15 year old girl named Rachel (played superbly well by Julia Garner), who happens to be a Mormon living in the heart of that religious groups land (re: Utah) on a commune in the wilderness, definitely set aside from the rest of the world. There are many children on this commune with her, all her brothers and sisters (although we really only get to meet one of them, her brother), as well as her father/prophet (played weirdly enough by Billy Zane, who seemed to be channeling his inner Josh Brolin for some reason) and her mother, a soft-spoken woman named GayLynn (played with a sense of subdued, and quietness by Patricia Watros).
There's a lot going on in this small, indie film and it's done just right by writer/director Rebecca Thomas (first timer), who perhaps was drawing on her own childhood experiences as a Mormon (? I don't know?) or she just knew she had an interesting story to tell. And it's certainly an interesting story. Rachel is intrigued by a tape player/recorder int he early stages of the film, when her father records their conversation about her devotion to the religion (pledging chastity and faith). Her brother takes the tape recorder to the basement and Rachel is compelled to find it that night and see what exactly it does. She plays a tape that has the song "Hanging on the Telephone" on it and she is enamored by its bizarre message. She thinks it's God speaking to her. She also believes, through divine intervention, that the man's voice, singing to her through the tape player, has impregnated her and now Rebecca Thomas sets up one of the weirdest Nativity Stories ever played out on screen. Rachel runs away from the commune, stealing her father's truck and her brother is shunned from the commune for what his parents allege he has done to Rachel (raped her, which he clearly did not).
It's not so much a coming-of-age film as it is more about the growth of curiosity that teenagers (girls) are faced with, especially when their family has shunned most, typical modern devices (re: tape recorders) in favor of a more minimalist lifestyle. What's most bizarre and interesting is that the film apparently is taking place in the '90s, a time when popular culture and capitalism was running rampant and becoming more about overexposure. Sure, it's a coming-of-age story, in a way, because Rachel, as a teenage girl who's only known what her family has told her up to this point, is now battling her family's beliefs and values with the ever-dawning realizations that there may actually be more out there in the world for her (to discover) outside the walls of the commune. And once she releases herself to this world, she does not want to go back. Who would? Especially when she runs into a group of young musicians/boys who all live together, play together, etc. She really wants to be accepted by them. Ultimately, though, she wants to learn about everything that she's been apparently sheltered from, and so what better place than a city that resembles Las Vegas. Rachel's blossoming individuality becomes the focal point of the film and filmmaker Rebecca Thomas does an excellent job showing us this girl's development in womanhood. There's more going on in this film than just what we see, but what we do see on film is presented exceptional style and camera movements. The tone is set early on that it will be a darker shade of gray in the atmosphere and pretty much everything seems to happen at night. The only contrast can be found in the sub-story about Rachel's mother, GayLynn- who tells her daughter a story about a mustang that she chased after. Yes, the mustang is a metaphor, but it turns out to have an actual meaning to it, as well, when Rachel finds and sees one in the city and she follows it to discover something that should've rocked her world (no spoiler from me, because I want you to watch this film), but perhaps because she's been sheltered and told things, this revelation does not seem to affect her as much as we wanted/thought it would. Anyone else but Rachel and it would have created a different element to the story. It's more about the melancholy this teenage girl has been feeling in regards to her displacement in the world (outside her world).
I really dug this film and appreciated the effort of first time director/writer Rebecca Thomas. I think she did a great job with its subtleness, yet its sense of urgency. I have nothing to complain about with this surprising, great indie find.
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Film 254
"The Off Hours"
starring: Amy Seimitz, Ross Partridge, Tony Doupe, Scoot McNairy, Lynn Shelton
written and directed by: Megan Griffiths
From one quiet, subdued film to the next. The only difference here is that Megan Griffiths film "The Off Hours" is a melancholy ode to forgotten people in an industrial town that finds itself home to an all-night diner frequented by truckers and regulars from town, which also happens to employ some of the saddest individuals stuck in their life I've ever "met." You do feel sorry for all of them, but I don't know if that was the filmmaker's intent. It's definitely another atmospheric film and a tone so depressing and slow-moving it almost begs to keep your attention. I was intrigued enough, though, by Amy Seimitz character, Francine (a third shift waitress at the aforementioned diner), to keep a close eye on the film. I did not feel a need to stray my attention away, as I may do from time to time (you know, check Facebook or begin writing a review in the middle of a film).
This film almost plays itself like a filmed poem, which means one of two things: 1) it's either a deeply moving piece of art or 2) utterly pretentious. I think, given the state of our society at this point in my life, I'm going to vote for it being deeply moving (as long as you stick with it).
Each character has nuances that you might find frustrating or endearing, in that these nuances help make them individuals. Individuals that we may be able to relate to, but before you jump on anyone's side, take a look at the cast of characters within the late-night diner's world:
Francine is the product of foster homes. Her best friend/roommate is her foster-brother (who happens to carry a deeper affection for her than she can reciprocate). She's been working at the diner for about 12 years. She enjoys hooking up with one of her foster brother's bandmates in the diner's bathroom, with an inability to commit to each other. Francine seems to avoid deeper connections (because she does end up meeting a trucker, who really ends up throwing her a curveball- they enjoy each other's company, they talk, but don't sleep together, because he is married with a child, and Francine fights every urge to have sex with him- she really wants to).
Oliver is the trucker that comes into Francine's life, however briefly, enough to affect it and her, hopefully for the better, because he brings with him a newer/brighter look at life that Francine hasn't been able to see for years, thanks in large part to her own self-imposed mental torture. The slowly build their relationship and it's not necessarily "fun" to watch their interactions, but I don't think anything about this film is supposed to be "fun." It's a sad look at what life can sometimes do to unfortunate people, who find themselves stuck.
Stu is the diner's owner. He's clearly an empty, sad-sack of a man. He's a slave to the bottle, an alcoholic. But he's also a seemingly talented artist (re: painter). His alcoholism cost him his wife, years ago, and it's splintered his relationship with his now-teenage daughter, whom he's painted a portrait of. The only time he seems happy is when he's drinking and painting, simultaneously. He's an empty vessel, even in his diner. He ends up having sex with his other waitress in the restaurant's bathroom, but neither people seemed involved in the interaction. Instead, it comes off as just something they need to do, because they're looking for comfort, and they know they're really the only people that will understand each other. In fact, that may be the exact reason why Francine and Oliver do not have sex. They don't and won't get each other. They're intersecting in each other's lives, but are on completely different planes.
This is almost a road-trip movie, in the sense that it actually focuses on the people who get left behind (or stay behind) as the typical road-trip characters simply pass through on the adventure of a lifetime. And these people that have been left behind (or added as footnotes in other peoples' lives) are not necessarily pissed off or angry about those facts, but rather indifferent to the life they've boxed themselves into, while everyone else is having a great time.
My only complaint about this film is that it does seem to drag at some points and it is a rather slow moving piece of art. I don't think it's pretentious, but then again, it could be the type of film that preaches to a choir.
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Film 255
"Night Vision"
starring: Noelle DuBois, Darryl Dougherty, Ali Adati
written and directed by: Nathaniel Warsh
There's just too much wrong with this film to even really begin, but I'll try.
First, the camera work really makes you think/feel like you're watching an episode of an afternoon soap opera. I think you know what I'm talking about: it's short in clear, panoramic fashion, following the characters as they spew out their pathetic lines of dialogue. Nothing is believable, from the first minute of the actors appearing on screen, perhaps because they are just loathsome individuals, through the predictable action (once you figure out what's truly going on, and it's not too hard to figure out, although, I think the filmmaker thought he was doing a decent job holding out on us- It's almost like sex, when you think you're doing a good job pacing yourself, only to find out later, once it's done, that you actually weren't as good as you thought, that time didn't actually stop). Now, I only bring up a sexual analogy, because clearly the director had some kind of fantasy with making a film and including as much sex and nudity as he could. Although, the poster is sort of misleading, but then again, the entire film is misleading, because it's truly about nothing at all.
It's about a film/television star named Spencer, who happens to be a shallow, egotistical womanizer, who thinks he is God's gift to women. And how does he utilize his gift? By apparently bedding any good looking girl who breathes or looks in his direction. Rather quickly, too. I mean, he has absolutely no questions or hesitations of inviting an admirer (named Ally) into his house, after coming home and finding her lurking in the shadows. They have sex after some lackluster banter and he proceeds to kick her out. Well, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She breaks back into his house and proceeds to torture him (with more sex...really?! That's torture!?).
Turns out the entire encounter was set up by his TV-show producing friend, Lance, who was hoping to turn it all into a reality-show pilot! Oh, come on! Have some better faith in your viewing audience. What a rip off! Not to mention, the acting, by everyone (all 3 people) is truly laughable. They didn't exactly have much to work with, though. So, I guess the question is: who is truly to blame for such a disaster? Or should everyone take an equal amount with them?
Don't waste your time. I'm sure it's too valuable.
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Film 256
"King Kelly"
starring: Louisa Krause, Libby Woodridge, Roderick Hill, Will Brill
written and directed: Andrew Neel
In "King Kelly" Louisa Krause plays a nowadays all-too-familiar type of person/girl, since we are in a digital age. You see, this age-of-the-internet has created some monsters out of everyday-normal people, who now crave attention (good or bad). We, as a people, have all become some kind of media "whore" (whether its self-produced Youtube videos or, in the case of this film here, homemade pornography websites). The digital age has alienated us from person-to-person interaction. It's enabled our introverted behavior, but also allowed our more exhibitionist tendencies to come out in the safety of our own home. Sure we still face other people's judgment and comments, but they're just words, usually on a screen.
King Kelly is the screen/porn name this girl has given herself for when she performs sexual acts in front of the computer for her fans. It's also a bit of a caricature she's created, an exaggeration of herself, because she seems to always stay in character, even when she has regular interactions with her family and friends. I guess it also doesn't help that she's constantly filming herself or having her trusty friend, Jordan, film her. It's like she craves and thrives on the attention. She almost demands it, and it's very very annoying. You know, in the same way that Paris Hilton seems to always be posing for any camera (even imagery). This is Kelly. She begs for attention. She is constantly pretending. And she comes off as very needy and self-involved, constantly begging people around her to help her.
The film totally plays up the 21st century, digital age of hysterics. It's a white girl from suburbia who speaks with a cartooned version of a Valley Girl dialect. Someone who is too self-consumed to know or care about anything else that's happening in the world. She sees or creates drama even when there is none, because she wants to overreact to it. All of this comes off as ridiculous, because Kelly is also the version of the American suburban girl who comes from privilege (even if it's lower-middle class). She never really needs to worry about her material needs not being met, clearly, she's got a nice bedroom with a personal computer and internet access. It's the internal/emotional needs that clearly are not being met and this is all a sort of cry for help/attention (you know, the whole internet porn, sexualizing herself for strangers, doing anything for a quick buck). Kelly is clearly missing something in her life, but the filmmakers and the story never ever get deeper than the surface with this girl, which really makes you think the entire thing is fake and pointless. Kelly is a one-dimensional narcissist and we never get anything more than that.
Given that I watched another film about a girl who basically sells herself in the porn industry (re: "Starlet") and it was far better because it allowed the main character to be someone more than just a sexual object of desire.
This is a total waste of time and the faux-found-footage genre is really getting exhausting. I can't believe in these films, because I don't understand why anyone would film themselves 24/7 and/or why the hell we should care about someone enough to watch them all the time.
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Film 257
"Nesting"
starring: Todd Grinnell, Allie Hillis
written and directed by: John Chuldenko
In the film "Nesting," Todd Grinnell's character could have and has been played already, several times perhaps, by Paul Rudd (in a better fashion, if I do say so, because, quite frankly I think Paul Rudd has been one of the most underrated comedians of my generation).
Grinnell's character is a thirtysomething guy, named Neil, who's been "happily" married to a beautiful, forgiving, compassionate, driven woman for a few years; and yet, he's questioning their relationship, because it's not like it used to be. He's having a relationship-mid(mid)life crisis. You see, he seems to want to have an affair with the twentysomething girl that he fell in love with who is now his responsible wife, Sarah (played by Allie Hillis, whom I found adorably cute). And, as you guessed, she doesn't exactly take too kindly to that. At first. But then, for some bizarre reason, and perhaps it's because writer/director John Chuldenko wants us not to forget, but instead to dream that our male fantasy of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl can actually become a reality, as long as we accept the fact that she'll grow out of that phase, yet still allow us to be irresponsible. This type of woman is so accommodating to the man-child some of us really are and never really want to give up.
Grinnell's character could be me (if I were in a relationship at this point in my life). He wears t-shirts of his favorite bands (re: Silversun Pickups, for which he scored points with me) or ironic t-shirts. He hangs out in a Los Angeles mall, where he's befriended many of the stores' employees, because he's a well-known "secret shopper." That's how he makes money, while his wife (played strategically by Allie Hillis, whose talents seem underused here) has given up her dream of photography to work as editor for some kind of artsy magazine (a bit of a compromise in ideas, I suppose).
"Nesting" seems to go out of its way to remind us that these people could be real. They could very well be us or friends of ours. Why? Because when you surpass the threshold and find yourself head-on with your thirties, it's almost like something clicks inside of you that makes you crave your earlier twenties. It's like you are trying to tell yourself you don't want to grow up, even though you really have no choice. I totally understand this mentality, because my last serious relationship was actually with a girl who seemed stuck in this phase of her life. I could tell that she didn't want to give up on the idea that she could still be the person she was at 22, even though she was 29. It was certainly frustrating, and so I found myself relating more with Allie Hillis' character than Grinnell's male character. Sometimes, you just want to shake these people to wake them up, you want to help them face reality, or maybe force them to see reality.
In "Nesting" we have a pair of would-be hipsters, especially since it takes place in L.A. who are forced out of their home due to renovations. Neil gets this great idea to rent out their old apartment for about a month, in order to perhaps live out their glory days and perhaps rekindle the fire that seems to have dissipated. This, again, feeds the idea that Neil is irresponsible, because he's clearly not or incapable of taking responsibility for having any part in the lack of fire in their relationship. Here's what I tend to think I know about women: They are attracted to a guy with goals and aspirations. That's what makes this entire film frustrating! Neil clearly has no desire to make his life any better. And yet, Sarah, his wife stays by his side, even though, she gets pissed off at him throughout the film, for his irresponsibility. I don't really understand women like Sarah.
I thought the movie was okay, but I'm not sure I can recommend it, because it's rather frustrating to watch it all play it.
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Film 258
"The Myth of the American Sleepover"
starring: Claire Sloma, Marlon Morton, Amanda Bauer, Brett Jacobson, Nikita and Jade Ramsey (basically an entire cast of unknown teenage actors)
written and directed by: David Robert Mitchell
After watching this indie film about teenage, high school kids apparently without visible parents around, I'm still rather unsure about my feelings for it. I'm not sure whether or not I liked it and appreciate it for what it is. Or if I didn't like it because I know it could have been something more. Here's what I do know: It's certainly not pretending to be anything it's not. It's not trying to be like other well-known films about teenagers. It's definitely a much more mild, in fact, maybe even a made-for-TV version of "KIDS" (still one of my favorites). It's not exactly funny, you know, like "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Dazed and Confused" or even "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" even though it has the same type of characters. These characters are milder and less chatty. When they do talk, you listen, because they seem to have something to say. That could perhaps be a lesson for all teenagers. Speak less and be taken more seriously. And their problems are not necessarily over-exaggerated by their own inner thoughts and feelings, which I appreciated.
The film focuses on a group of Midwestern high schoolers as they travel, converse, and party in their respective groups over the course of one night at sleepovers and parties at what appears to be the end of summer. It definitely has a bit of a Richard Linklater (one of my favorite filmmakers) vibe to it. At its heart, the film is about these four central characters coming to grips with realities they don't necessarily want to talk about with anyone, but you can tell they are all internalizing it. That's the thing with teenagers. They don't want to talk about their life or their struggles, but they certainly want the adults in their lives to recognize their struggles. They want guidance and support, but they'd never vocalize it. Teenage years are certainly one of the most difficult stages in our lives. I remember my teenage years. I don't look back fondly or with disdain. It was more about survival. I survived it and came out a better person for all the struggles I went through (re: most significantly coping with my parent's divorce when I was 16-17 years old and my mother leaving us/me for another state, about 600 miles south, and the sense of betrayal I felt).
The exchanges between the teenage characters don't seem forced and are beautifully written. Much like, "The Off Hours" seemed like a poetic motion picture, I think "Myth of the American Sleepover" has some poetic tendencies in its presentation, which does make me like it, hell, enjoy it. None of these characters seem trite, but rather true (to themselves). They almost don't even seem like they are acting.
The story's and film's strength can be found in the small moments throughout the night for these characters. They have simple, yet transformative encounters, separately. The tone of the film never betrays the characters' experiences and/or perspectives. They each have their defining moments and it's fun to watch. For example, Rob is an awkward yet horny teenage boy who spies an attractive blonde girl in a sundress at the grocery store (they are both with their mothers). He watches her sniff a bottle of shampoo and when she leaves the aisle, he goes to the same shampoo in order to smell the same scents as her. And then, he spends the night trying to find her...only to be disappointed by her once he does find her. Scott has returned from college after a harsh, unexpected break-up with his girlfriend and is unsure whether he'll go back or simply drop-out. He is confused and in search of a pair of twin girls whom he believed liked him when he was in high school. He liked them, too, but they force him to choose one of them, and he can't do that, in the moment. There are a couple of girls that are also the focal point of the story, but for gender reasons I of course connected better with the boys of the story.
Now that I've had time to process and write about the film, I can say, it is actually a great indie film. A surprise hit, for me.
No one has posted a setlist from their show the other night, but here's a look at what they've been playing. NOTE: They did play an incredible version of Bon Iver's "Woods" which ran for probably about 10 minutes, and was certainly the highlight of the show, for me.
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- (Unknown)(new song)
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- (Unknown)(new song)
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- Encore:
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And now I've officially ended my first full week of school, back in Kindergarten and it's been great. I have such an awesome group of kids and I think it's going to be a really fun year.
During the week, I watched 4 good, indie films that were interesting and surprising.
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Film 253
"Electrick Children"
starring: Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, Liam Aiken, Billy Zane
written and directed by: Rebecca Thomas
Even with its slow-burning energy from the very beginning and all the way through, you can feel the sense of urgency burning within the story. Perhaps that's because its main character is a 15 year old girl named Rachel (played superbly well by Julia Garner), who happens to be a Mormon living in the heart of that religious groups land (re: Utah) on a commune in the wilderness, definitely set aside from the rest of the world. There are many children on this commune with her, all her brothers and sisters (although we really only get to meet one of them, her brother), as well as her father/prophet (played weirdly enough by Billy Zane, who seemed to be channeling his inner Josh Brolin for some reason) and her mother, a soft-spoken woman named GayLynn (played with a sense of subdued, and quietness by Patricia Watros).
There's a lot going on in this small, indie film and it's done just right by writer/director Rebecca Thomas (first timer), who perhaps was drawing on her own childhood experiences as a Mormon (? I don't know?) or she just knew she had an interesting story to tell. And it's certainly an interesting story. Rachel is intrigued by a tape player/recorder int he early stages of the film, when her father records their conversation about her devotion to the religion (pledging chastity and faith). Her brother takes the tape recorder to the basement and Rachel is compelled to find it that night and see what exactly it does. She plays a tape that has the song "Hanging on the Telephone" on it and she is enamored by its bizarre message. She thinks it's God speaking to her. She also believes, through divine intervention, that the man's voice, singing to her through the tape player, has impregnated her and now Rebecca Thomas sets up one of the weirdest Nativity Stories ever played out on screen. Rachel runs away from the commune, stealing her father's truck and her brother is shunned from the commune for what his parents allege he has done to Rachel (raped her, which he clearly did not).
It's not so much a coming-of-age film as it is more about the growth of curiosity that teenagers (girls) are faced with, especially when their family has shunned most, typical modern devices (re: tape recorders) in favor of a more minimalist lifestyle. What's most bizarre and interesting is that the film apparently is taking place in the '90s, a time when popular culture and capitalism was running rampant and becoming more about overexposure. Sure, it's a coming-of-age story, in a way, because Rachel, as a teenage girl who's only known what her family has told her up to this point, is now battling her family's beliefs and values with the ever-dawning realizations that there may actually be more out there in the world for her (to discover) outside the walls of the commune. And once she releases herself to this world, she does not want to go back. Who would? Especially when she runs into a group of young musicians/boys who all live together, play together, etc. She really wants to be accepted by them. Ultimately, though, she wants to learn about everything that she's been apparently sheltered from, and so what better place than a city that resembles Las Vegas. Rachel's blossoming individuality becomes the focal point of the film and filmmaker Rebecca Thomas does an excellent job showing us this girl's development in womanhood. There's more going on in this film than just what we see, but what we do see on film is presented exceptional style and camera movements. The tone is set early on that it will be a darker shade of gray in the atmosphere and pretty much everything seems to happen at night. The only contrast can be found in the sub-story about Rachel's mother, GayLynn- who tells her daughter a story about a mustang that she chased after. Yes, the mustang is a metaphor, but it turns out to have an actual meaning to it, as well, when Rachel finds and sees one in the city and she follows it to discover something that should've rocked her world (no spoiler from me, because I want you to watch this film), but perhaps because she's been sheltered and told things, this revelation does not seem to affect her as much as we wanted/thought it would. Anyone else but Rachel and it would have created a different element to the story. It's more about the melancholy this teenage girl has been feeling in regards to her displacement in the world (outside her world).
I really dug this film and appreciated the effort of first time director/writer Rebecca Thomas. I think she did a great job with its subtleness, yet its sense of urgency. I have nothing to complain about with this surprising, great indie find.
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Film 254
"The Off Hours"
starring: Amy Seimitz, Ross Partridge, Tony Doupe, Scoot McNairy, Lynn Shelton
written and directed by: Megan Griffiths
From one quiet, subdued film to the next. The only difference here is that Megan Griffiths film "The Off Hours" is a melancholy ode to forgotten people in an industrial town that finds itself home to an all-night diner frequented by truckers and regulars from town, which also happens to employ some of the saddest individuals stuck in their life I've ever "met." You do feel sorry for all of them, but I don't know if that was the filmmaker's intent. It's definitely another atmospheric film and a tone so depressing and slow-moving it almost begs to keep your attention. I was intrigued enough, though, by Amy Seimitz character, Francine (a third shift waitress at the aforementioned diner), to keep a close eye on the film. I did not feel a need to stray my attention away, as I may do from time to time (you know, check Facebook or begin writing a review in the middle of a film).
This film almost plays itself like a filmed poem, which means one of two things: 1) it's either a deeply moving piece of art or 2) utterly pretentious. I think, given the state of our society at this point in my life, I'm going to vote for it being deeply moving (as long as you stick with it).
Each character has nuances that you might find frustrating or endearing, in that these nuances help make them individuals. Individuals that we may be able to relate to, but before you jump on anyone's side, take a look at the cast of characters within the late-night diner's world:
Francine is the product of foster homes. Her best friend/roommate is her foster-brother (who happens to carry a deeper affection for her than she can reciprocate). She's been working at the diner for about 12 years. She enjoys hooking up with one of her foster brother's bandmates in the diner's bathroom, with an inability to commit to each other. Francine seems to avoid deeper connections (because she does end up meeting a trucker, who really ends up throwing her a curveball- they enjoy each other's company, they talk, but don't sleep together, because he is married with a child, and Francine fights every urge to have sex with him- she really wants to).
Oliver is the trucker that comes into Francine's life, however briefly, enough to affect it and her, hopefully for the better, because he brings with him a newer/brighter look at life that Francine hasn't been able to see for years, thanks in large part to her own self-imposed mental torture. The slowly build their relationship and it's not necessarily "fun" to watch their interactions, but I don't think anything about this film is supposed to be "fun." It's a sad look at what life can sometimes do to unfortunate people, who find themselves stuck.
Stu is the diner's owner. He's clearly an empty, sad-sack of a man. He's a slave to the bottle, an alcoholic. But he's also a seemingly talented artist (re: painter). His alcoholism cost him his wife, years ago, and it's splintered his relationship with his now-teenage daughter, whom he's painted a portrait of. The only time he seems happy is when he's drinking and painting, simultaneously. He's an empty vessel, even in his diner. He ends up having sex with his other waitress in the restaurant's bathroom, but neither people seemed involved in the interaction. Instead, it comes off as just something they need to do, because they're looking for comfort, and they know they're really the only people that will understand each other. In fact, that may be the exact reason why Francine and Oliver do not have sex. They don't and won't get each other. They're intersecting in each other's lives, but are on completely different planes.
This is almost a road-trip movie, in the sense that it actually focuses on the people who get left behind (or stay behind) as the typical road-trip characters simply pass through on the adventure of a lifetime. And these people that have been left behind (or added as footnotes in other peoples' lives) are not necessarily pissed off or angry about those facts, but rather indifferent to the life they've boxed themselves into, while everyone else is having a great time.
My only complaint about this film is that it does seem to drag at some points and it is a rather slow moving piece of art. I don't think it's pretentious, but then again, it could be the type of film that preaches to a choir.
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Film 255
"Night Vision"
starring: Noelle DuBois, Darryl Dougherty, Ali Adati
written and directed by: Nathaniel Warsh
There's just too much wrong with this film to even really begin, but I'll try.
First, the camera work really makes you think/feel like you're watching an episode of an afternoon soap opera. I think you know what I'm talking about: it's short in clear, panoramic fashion, following the characters as they spew out their pathetic lines of dialogue. Nothing is believable, from the first minute of the actors appearing on screen, perhaps because they are just loathsome individuals, through the predictable action (once you figure out what's truly going on, and it's not too hard to figure out, although, I think the filmmaker thought he was doing a decent job holding out on us- It's almost like sex, when you think you're doing a good job pacing yourself, only to find out later, once it's done, that you actually weren't as good as you thought, that time didn't actually stop). Now, I only bring up a sexual analogy, because clearly the director had some kind of fantasy with making a film and including as much sex and nudity as he could. Although, the poster is sort of misleading, but then again, the entire film is misleading, because it's truly about nothing at all.
It's about a film/television star named Spencer, who happens to be a shallow, egotistical womanizer, who thinks he is God's gift to women. And how does he utilize his gift? By apparently bedding any good looking girl who breathes or looks in his direction. Rather quickly, too. I mean, he has absolutely no questions or hesitations of inviting an admirer (named Ally) into his house, after coming home and finding her lurking in the shadows. They have sex after some lackluster banter and he proceeds to kick her out. Well, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She breaks back into his house and proceeds to torture him (with more sex...really?! That's torture!?).
Turns out the entire encounter was set up by his TV-show producing friend, Lance, who was hoping to turn it all into a reality-show pilot! Oh, come on! Have some better faith in your viewing audience. What a rip off! Not to mention, the acting, by everyone (all 3 people) is truly laughable. They didn't exactly have much to work with, though. So, I guess the question is: who is truly to blame for such a disaster? Or should everyone take an equal amount with them?
Don't waste your time. I'm sure it's too valuable.
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Film 256
"King Kelly"
starring: Louisa Krause, Libby Woodridge, Roderick Hill, Will Brill
written and directed: Andrew Neel
In "King Kelly" Louisa Krause plays a nowadays all-too-familiar type of person/girl, since we are in a digital age. You see, this age-of-the-internet has created some monsters out of everyday-normal people, who now crave attention (good or bad). We, as a people, have all become some kind of media "whore" (whether its self-produced Youtube videos or, in the case of this film here, homemade pornography websites). The digital age has alienated us from person-to-person interaction. It's enabled our introverted behavior, but also allowed our more exhibitionist tendencies to come out in the safety of our own home. Sure we still face other people's judgment and comments, but they're just words, usually on a screen.
King Kelly is the screen/porn name this girl has given herself for when she performs sexual acts in front of the computer for her fans. It's also a bit of a caricature she's created, an exaggeration of herself, because she seems to always stay in character, even when she has regular interactions with her family and friends. I guess it also doesn't help that she's constantly filming herself or having her trusty friend, Jordan, film her. It's like she craves and thrives on the attention. She almost demands it, and it's very very annoying. You know, in the same way that Paris Hilton seems to always be posing for any camera (even imagery). This is Kelly. She begs for attention. She is constantly pretending. And she comes off as very needy and self-involved, constantly begging people around her to help her.
The film totally plays up the 21st century, digital age of hysterics. It's a white girl from suburbia who speaks with a cartooned version of a Valley Girl dialect. Someone who is too self-consumed to know or care about anything else that's happening in the world. She sees or creates drama even when there is none, because she wants to overreact to it. All of this comes off as ridiculous, because Kelly is also the version of the American suburban girl who comes from privilege (even if it's lower-middle class). She never really needs to worry about her material needs not being met, clearly, she's got a nice bedroom with a personal computer and internet access. It's the internal/emotional needs that clearly are not being met and this is all a sort of cry for help/attention (you know, the whole internet porn, sexualizing herself for strangers, doing anything for a quick buck). Kelly is clearly missing something in her life, but the filmmakers and the story never ever get deeper than the surface with this girl, which really makes you think the entire thing is fake and pointless. Kelly is a one-dimensional narcissist and we never get anything more than that.
Given that I watched another film about a girl who basically sells herself in the porn industry (re: "Starlet") and it was far better because it allowed the main character to be someone more than just a sexual object of desire.
This is a total waste of time and the faux-found-footage genre is really getting exhausting. I can't believe in these films, because I don't understand why anyone would film themselves 24/7 and/or why the hell we should care about someone enough to watch them all the time.
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Film 257
"Nesting"
starring: Todd Grinnell, Allie Hillis
written and directed by: John Chuldenko
In the film "Nesting," Todd Grinnell's character could have and has been played already, several times perhaps, by Paul Rudd (in a better fashion, if I do say so, because, quite frankly I think Paul Rudd has been one of the most underrated comedians of my generation).
Grinnell's character is a thirtysomething guy, named Neil, who's been "happily" married to a beautiful, forgiving, compassionate, driven woman for a few years; and yet, he's questioning their relationship, because it's not like it used to be. He's having a relationship-mid(mid)life crisis. You see, he seems to want to have an affair with the twentysomething girl that he fell in love with who is now his responsible wife, Sarah (played by Allie Hillis, whom I found adorably cute). And, as you guessed, she doesn't exactly take too kindly to that. At first. But then, for some bizarre reason, and perhaps it's because writer/director John Chuldenko wants us not to forget, but instead to dream that our male fantasy of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl can actually become a reality, as long as we accept the fact that she'll grow out of that phase, yet still allow us to be irresponsible. This type of woman is so accommodating to the man-child some of us really are and never really want to give up.
Grinnell's character could be me (if I were in a relationship at this point in my life). He wears t-shirts of his favorite bands (re: Silversun Pickups, for which he scored points with me) or ironic t-shirts. He hangs out in a Los Angeles mall, where he's befriended many of the stores' employees, because he's a well-known "secret shopper." That's how he makes money, while his wife (played strategically by Allie Hillis, whose talents seem underused here) has given up her dream of photography to work as editor for some kind of artsy magazine (a bit of a compromise in ideas, I suppose).
"Nesting" seems to go out of its way to remind us that these people could be real. They could very well be us or friends of ours. Why? Because when you surpass the threshold and find yourself head-on with your thirties, it's almost like something clicks inside of you that makes you crave your earlier twenties. It's like you are trying to tell yourself you don't want to grow up, even though you really have no choice. I totally understand this mentality, because my last serious relationship was actually with a girl who seemed stuck in this phase of her life. I could tell that she didn't want to give up on the idea that she could still be the person she was at 22, even though she was 29. It was certainly frustrating, and so I found myself relating more with Allie Hillis' character than Grinnell's male character. Sometimes, you just want to shake these people to wake them up, you want to help them face reality, or maybe force them to see reality.
In "Nesting" we have a pair of would-be hipsters, especially since it takes place in L.A. who are forced out of their home due to renovations. Neil gets this great idea to rent out their old apartment for about a month, in order to perhaps live out their glory days and perhaps rekindle the fire that seems to have dissipated. This, again, feeds the idea that Neil is irresponsible, because he's clearly not or incapable of taking responsibility for having any part in the lack of fire in their relationship. Here's what I tend to think I know about women: They are attracted to a guy with goals and aspirations. That's what makes this entire film frustrating! Neil clearly has no desire to make his life any better. And yet, Sarah, his wife stays by his side, even though, she gets pissed off at him throughout the film, for his irresponsibility. I don't really understand women like Sarah.
I thought the movie was okay, but I'm not sure I can recommend it, because it's rather frustrating to watch it all play it.
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Film 258
"The Myth of the American Sleepover"
starring: Claire Sloma, Marlon Morton, Amanda Bauer, Brett Jacobson, Nikita and Jade Ramsey (basically an entire cast of unknown teenage actors)
written and directed by: David Robert Mitchell
After watching this indie film about teenage, high school kids apparently without visible parents around, I'm still rather unsure about my feelings for it. I'm not sure whether or not I liked it and appreciate it for what it is. Or if I didn't like it because I know it could have been something more. Here's what I do know: It's certainly not pretending to be anything it's not. It's not trying to be like other well-known films about teenagers. It's definitely a much more mild, in fact, maybe even a made-for-TV version of "KIDS" (still one of my favorites). It's not exactly funny, you know, like "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Dazed and Confused" or even "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" even though it has the same type of characters. These characters are milder and less chatty. When they do talk, you listen, because they seem to have something to say. That could perhaps be a lesson for all teenagers. Speak less and be taken more seriously. And their problems are not necessarily over-exaggerated by their own inner thoughts and feelings, which I appreciated.
The film focuses on a group of Midwestern high schoolers as they travel, converse, and party in their respective groups over the course of one night at sleepovers and parties at what appears to be the end of summer. It definitely has a bit of a Richard Linklater (one of my favorite filmmakers) vibe to it. At its heart, the film is about these four central characters coming to grips with realities they don't necessarily want to talk about with anyone, but you can tell they are all internalizing it. That's the thing with teenagers. They don't want to talk about their life or their struggles, but they certainly want the adults in their lives to recognize their struggles. They want guidance and support, but they'd never vocalize it. Teenage years are certainly one of the most difficult stages in our lives. I remember my teenage years. I don't look back fondly or with disdain. It was more about survival. I survived it and came out a better person for all the struggles I went through (re: most significantly coping with my parent's divorce when I was 16-17 years old and my mother leaving us/me for another state, about 600 miles south, and the sense of betrayal I felt).
The exchanges between the teenage characters don't seem forced and are beautifully written. Much like, "The Off Hours" seemed like a poetic motion picture, I think "Myth of the American Sleepover" has some poetic tendencies in its presentation, which does make me like it, hell, enjoy it. None of these characters seem trite, but rather true (to themselves). They almost don't even seem like they are acting.
The story's and film's strength can be found in the small moments throughout the night for these characters. They have simple, yet transformative encounters, separately. The tone of the film never betrays the characters' experiences and/or perspectives. They each have their defining moments and it's fun to watch. For example, Rob is an awkward yet horny teenage boy who spies an attractive blonde girl in a sundress at the grocery store (they are both with their mothers). He watches her sniff a bottle of shampoo and when she leaves the aisle, he goes to the same shampoo in order to smell the same scents as her. And then, he spends the night trying to find her...only to be disappointed by her once he does find her. Scott has returned from college after a harsh, unexpected break-up with his girlfriend and is unsure whether he'll go back or simply drop-out. He is confused and in search of a pair of twin girls whom he believed liked him when he was in high school. He liked them, too, but they force him to choose one of them, and he can't do that, in the moment. There are a couple of girls that are also the focal point of the story, but for gender reasons I of course connected better with the boys of the story.
Now that I've had time to process and write about the film, I can say, it is actually a great indie film. A surprise hit, for me.
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