Zella Day in Concert and Some Indie Films to Watch for Sure!
I saw Zella Day back in June at Port City Music Hall, because it was $10 and a short walk from my apartment. After that show, I was hooked on her. She is an incredible performer, with a powerful voice and a great sound that reminds me of the 1970s- with a new flavor mixed in. She played at the Sinclair (another small venue, but this time in Boston) and it was a cheap show, again ($12) and pretty short (her set lasted just about an hour). But, she was awesome, yet again.
"As Cool As I Am"
starring: Claire Danes, James Marsden, Sarah Bolger, Thomas Mann, Seth Adkins,
directed by: Max Mayer
written by (novel): Pete Fromm
This is another teenage girl-focused coming-of-age story that tries too hard. It's an adaptation of a novel that I've never heard of, perhaps because it's competing with teen novels like "The Fault in Our Stars" and the like. Nothing in the story is too original, either. It follows the life of a high school sort of forced to be more of a grown up than she should be, as she aspires to be a chef. Her name's Lucy and she's played by Sarah Bolger, who seems like a decent actress, given the script. She's sort of the same kind of character that you'd expect to find waltzing through an episode or two of "Dawson's Creek."
She's witnessing the demise of her young parents (Claire Danes and James Marsden- who can honestly believe they would be a married couple, let alone be the parents of a teenage girl?) relationship and marriage. While just dealing with this drama, forced upon her, seems to be enough (trust me, I dealt with my own parents divorcing when I was 16 years old), Lucy is also coming to terms with her own young adulthood and all the complexities that come with it. She has a best friend, Kenny (Thomas Mann, who seems to play and act more like Lucy's pawn more than anything else), whom she starts to fool around with, perhaps because she can tell that he's been dying to take their friendship to the next level, but she questions it and eventually gives in to her own feelings for me. Their friendship, of course, becomes more complicated after they become sexually active with each other, add to that the fact that both sets of parents disapprove. The bulk of the middle of the script seems to focus heavily on the fact that Lucy is too young to be sexually active, but the contradiction is that her own parents were young as well, when they had Lucy. This is real-life, because it's no secret that the youth is experimenting more and more at a young age, but I felt like this film did not do as good of a job as it could have dealing with this subject matter. There's some anxiety and awkwardness between the two teenagers, and yes, that seems to be right, but then the script calls for Kenny to move and live with his dad because of their sexual activity. Then it veers more to telling the story of Lucy's life at home and the relationship between her parents.
............................................................................
"Puppylove"
starring: Solene Rigot, Audrey Bastien, Vincent Perez
directed by: Delphine Lehericey
written by: Delphine Lehericey and Martin Coiffier
Here is another teenage girl, coming-of-age story about a young girl exploring her sexuality. This one gets it right, or at least, better than my previous film reviewed. Perhaps the difference here is that this is a French film and their culture is more open and free-spirited about sexuality and nudity than the U.S. (being more repressed).
The film focuses on Diane, a 14 year old girl (played by Rigot) who begins to explore her sexuality after spying on and becoming intrigued by her neighbor (played by Bastien).
Diane lives with her father and younger brother. She has a friend, Antoine, whom she starts and stops her sexual exploration with rather quickly, deciding mid-exploration that she's not necessarily ready to lose her virginity (well, perhaps maybe she was simply re-thinking her partner in the tryst). Meanwhile, her mysterious and intriguing neighbor, Julie, is a new student at Diane's school and they strike up a friendship. Everything sort of plays out like the French version of the great film "Thirteen" from the early 2000s, but not in a cheap way. Everything comes off as authentic.
This is a great, worthwhile film, if you can deal with the realism and the uncomfortable-ness of watching these two girls explore their sexuality, giving us a full frontal view, sometimes. It's done tastefully, though, and with meaning behind it, not exploitatively.
............................................................................
"Alex in Venice"
starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Katie Nehra, Chris Messina, Don Johnson, Derek Luke, Matthew Del Negro, Timm Sharp, Marin Hinkle, Beth Grantwill mcCormack
directed by: Chris Messina
written by: Katie Nehra, Jessica Goldberg
I became a fan of Mary Elizabeth Winstead's after seeing her in "Death Proof" (the Quentin Tarantino film that was paired with "Planet Terror" as an homage to Grindhouse films) in 2007. She also had a role in "Scott Pilgrim V. the World (which I saw because I loved the graphic novel series). I also loved her in "The Spectacular Now" and "Faults" (which I recently reviewed).
This is another indie film that I discovered thanks to Netflix and it left me pleasantly surprised, even given its laid-back nature of storytelling for what could be considered rather heavy subject matter.
The story revolves around Alex (Winstead) who is a workaholic lawyer for an environmental group (fighting a big case at the moment her) when her world gets thrown into upheaval. Her husband (played by Messina, whom also directed) decides one day that he's had enough to being stiffed by his wife, and his role of stay-at-home dad. That's when her life changes and her carefully ordered existence is thrown for a loop and she begins to realize, perhaps, who much she took her husband for granted; but it's also when she really starts to live her life, after the realization that balance is necessary.
On top of her huge caseload occasioned by an important trial, she now bears full responsibility for the needs of her 10-year-old son, Dakota (Skylar Gaertner), and forgetful dad, Roger (Don Johnson), as well as daily cooking and cleaning. The original can-do girl, expert at turning mountains into molehills (at least in her mind), Alex puts on a happy face and proceeds to multitask — with mildly disastrous results. Then her spontaneous, sexy, free-spirited sister, Lily (Katie Nehra, credited as a co-writer), arrives from New York and proceeds to assume the household chores in her own inimitable style, simultaneously prodding her overly serious sister to lighten up.
Having never been to Venice Beach, CA- I can only assume that the mood of the film is borrowed from the beach-front atmosphere, which has some real-life bohemian roots and is now largely becoming gentrified. This plot point comes in handy when Alex's big case happens to be against a real estate developer hell-bent on building a spa on "sacred" environmental ground, because he wants to give back to the community that helped raise him by creating jobs. Frank (played by Derek Luke) and Alex also happen to begin a rather interesting, conflict-of-interest type of relationship, but it seems good for Alex because Frank is allowing her to explore some of life's simplest pleasures (re: sex), which she seemed to leave rather unexplored during her entire relationship with her husband.
I appreciated how the film did not focus on the fact that George abandoned his family. In fact, it sort of negates that fact, by really presenting George as a decent father and a generally nice guy who has not been allowed to pursue his goals or really live his own life. The couple needed to separate in order to fully explore their own lives.
Let's be honest though, the film belongs to Winstead. Alex's gradual metamorphosis into a richer, more fully realized young woman, working mother, and caretaker for her ailing father (Don Johnson, in a rare film appearance as an old man suffering from the early onsets of Alzheimer's) is really accomplished in several small emotional brushstrokes that happen with the greatest of ease, making it seem more like real life than other films with the same subject matter. Alex comes across as the wholesome girl-next-door/MILF in an ever-shifting pattern of circumstances.
I absolutely loved this film for its simplistic approach.
.............................................................................
"The Living"
starring: Fran Kranz, Jocelin Donahue, Kenny Wormald, Chris Mulkey, Erin Cummings, Andy Sandberg, Brian McMinimee
written and directed by: Jack Bryan
Wow! Just, wow! If I had to review this indie film in one word, it would be that: wow! What a harrowing task. The subject matter is hard to swallow: domestic abuse related to alcohol. The writer/director knows this and certainly does not tread lightly. He doesn't make excuses for the abuser; and he doesn't make the abused wife a small, fragile woman.
“The Living” opens in middle America, anywhere USA, with a haunting melody – “The Werewolf Song” by Michael Hurley. It’s not until you see Teddy (Fran Kranz) waking up in a sea of empty beer bottles and cigarette butts that you understand the genuine meaning behind the word werewolf. Upon realizing his wife Molly (Jocelin Donahue) is not around, he finds her at her mother’s. Molly shows the physical scars of the forgotten night before, an abused face. This does not sit well with Molly’s family, and her brother Gordon (Kenny Wormald) considers that things would be better if Teddy wasn’t around any longer. The subject matter is not to be taken lightly, it’s a hard look at the reality of abuse, but it’s also not a PSA about prevention either. For one, Molly isn’t your typical broken housewife. She may still love her husband, but she’s not going to pretend this didn’t happen, and she’s not going to let Teddy forget it did either.
The script is equal parts a cautionary tale and a story about redemption. We all know that abuse (of any kind is wrong). That's not a debatable fact in this story. Instead, the film explores what leads up to the abuse. This is a story about what happens once decisions are made and the people who have to live with those decisions once they are made. The script is so well written, the viewer is not exactly sure how they should feel about Teddy and Molly's relationship.
The range of emotions that Kranz and Donahue display are mesmerizing. There are hints that this isn’t the first time Teddy has raised a hand to Molly, but Kranz does an interesting job in keeping the audience with him as he makes amends for his mistakes. As for Molly, Donahue depicts her with a strength which is not common with these women, but she does so with an added element of vulnerability. You understand their attraction and love for each other, yet are still unsure of how you feel about them together. The same can’t be said for Molly’s protective brother Gordon or the hired killer he approaches, Howard (Chris Mulkey). From the beginning these two characters are clearly laid out for you. Gordon is pulled between wanting to hide from life and being forced to set up to some sort of heroic character he knows he can’t be. The pull between fear and bravery, masterfully portrayed by Wormald, provokes the audience into wanting to save Gordon. Mulkey does a great job of making Howard’s despicable personality evident, which compels a feeling to rescue Gordon from his rash decision.
There is a powerful reason for the title of the film being "The Living," which we find out as the climax of the film plays out, during the peek of the consequences of decisions made. It's a film about choices (whether we agree with them or not), that even if the end justifies the means, that doesn't necessarily mean they have to be brought to fruition. It's also a story about deep love. It's ultimately a story about life and how unjust it can truly be sometimes.
I love films like this because although they make you cringe, they remain real and true to life. This is what cinema should be, in my opinion. I would take an indie film like this over a Hollywood-ized film any day. Because, it's life, deal with it.
This is an incredible film, but you have to prepare yourself for its impact on you.
.......................................................................................
"Goodbye to All That"
starring: Paul Schneider, Melanie Lynskey, Audrey P. Scott, Anna Camp, Heather Graham, Heather Lawless, Ashley Hinshaw, Michael Chernus, Amy Sedaris
written and directed by: Angus MacLachlan
I found this film on Netflix the other day, without knowing much about it other than it starred Paul Schneider who was on "Parks and Rec" a while back. Melanie Lynskey also played Rose on "Two and a Half Men" and Anna Camp had a brief role on "True Blood." All of this and the story had me intrigued. Then, I found out it was written and directed by Angus MacLachlan who wrote a great film "Junebug" which was the film solely responsible for launching Amy Adams career.
In "Goodbye to All That," Paul Schneider plays Otto Wall, an ordinary, rather oblivious man in his 30s who is blindsided by his wife when she tells him she wants a divorce within the first few minutes of the film. It's clear, right from the start, that Otto has been living his life uncertain of what he wants, but when we meet him he seems to believe he has figured it all out- too bad it's a little too late for his marriage to really work out. I guess the old adage is true, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Because, Otto really wants his wife back, he wants her to realize she's made a mistake, that he's trying to right his wrongs towards her. He is a decent father, after all, so he cannot be all that bad.
Otto's wife, Annie (Lynskey) is the bad guy, because she's given up. There is something heartbreakingly real in her body language throughout the film. It shows us that the reason for their relationship not working out is not due to yelling and altercations. No, instead, it's because of apathy and indifference.
As the wronged party, Otto is now free to reenter the dating pool as a middle-aged man. And though he’d clearly be more comfortable finding another compatible life partner, he’s instead astonished to discover how easily sex comes to him now that the ladies are a little older and a bit more liberated. There’s the old flame (Heather Graham), newly divorced and looking for a no-strings-attached fling; the online hookup (Ashley Hinshaw), a young self-starter who hardly even needs Otto to get off; the conflicted church girl (Anna Camp), who has serious trouble dealing with temptation — to say nothing of the mixed-message boss (Amy Sedaris) who pulls Otto into the closet to coach him on what to expect from divorced life.
Collectively, these experiences sound like tales someone might spin for buddies at the bar, like an extended joke about how much fun a man with no attachments can have at Otto’s age. Of course, the exact same encounters might border on tragic if he’d been playing the field all along. Heck, they border on tragic now, since Otto is clearly looking for more than sex — plenty obvious in the way he perks up at the idea of reuniting with an old summer-camp crush (Heather Lawless). Still, when it comes to priorities, Otto has enough on his plate trying to provide a safe new home for his young daughter (Audrey P. Scott) at a moment when the girl’s parents really ought to be focused on her, rather than themselves.
This isn't a pretentious indie film, but rather a genuine, could-be-anyone situational film that explores human interactions in our 30s, with a man who is acting like he's still in his 20s but knows better than that.
Another great indie film to watch.
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(The Zombies cover)
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(Zella Day performed in audience)
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(The White Stripes cover) (Zella Day solo)
"As Cool As I Am"
starring: Claire Danes, James Marsden, Sarah Bolger, Thomas Mann, Seth Adkins,
directed by: Max Mayer
written by (novel): Pete Fromm
This is another teenage girl-focused coming-of-age story that tries too hard. It's an adaptation of a novel that I've never heard of, perhaps because it's competing with teen novels like "The Fault in Our Stars" and the like. Nothing in the story is too original, either. It follows the life of a high school sort of forced to be more of a grown up than she should be, as she aspires to be a chef. Her name's Lucy and she's played by Sarah Bolger, who seems like a decent actress, given the script. She's sort of the same kind of character that you'd expect to find waltzing through an episode or two of "Dawson's Creek."
She's witnessing the demise of her young parents (Claire Danes and James Marsden- who can honestly believe they would be a married couple, let alone be the parents of a teenage girl?) relationship and marriage. While just dealing with this drama, forced upon her, seems to be enough (trust me, I dealt with my own parents divorcing when I was 16 years old), Lucy is also coming to terms with her own young adulthood and all the complexities that come with it. She has a best friend, Kenny (Thomas Mann, who seems to play and act more like Lucy's pawn more than anything else), whom she starts to fool around with, perhaps because she can tell that he's been dying to take their friendship to the next level, but she questions it and eventually gives in to her own feelings for me. Their friendship, of course, becomes more complicated after they become sexually active with each other, add to that the fact that both sets of parents disapprove. The bulk of the middle of the script seems to focus heavily on the fact that Lucy is too young to be sexually active, but the contradiction is that her own parents were young as well, when they had Lucy. This is real-life, because it's no secret that the youth is experimenting more and more at a young age, but I felt like this film did not do as good of a job as it could have dealing with this subject matter. There's some anxiety and awkwardness between the two teenagers, and yes, that seems to be right, but then the script calls for Kenny to move and live with his dad because of their sexual activity. Then it veers more to telling the story of Lucy's life at home and the relationship between her parents.
Both Lucy and Kenny's parents are shocked to hear that their children are sexually active, with Kenny's mother going so far as to force him to live with his father in another city. Many of these story developments are timed for narrative convenience, such as Kenny moving right at the time that Lucy struggles to deal with other problems in her life and is more in need of a friend than ever before. The film tries to ram in as many emotionally scarring incidents into an already clunky narrative in order to capture the tribulations of collective adolescent experience. But the reality is that Lucy is just one girl, and the number of calamities she faces is enough drama for an entire season of Degrassi and would be divided among several of its characters.
It's not enough that Lucy's parents were young when they had her; they're both equally immature and ill-prepared for parenthood. Chuck slaps Lucy after walking in on her having sex with another boy, and at the end of the film, Lainee, having kicked Chuck out of the house and thus freeing herself to date other men, leaves Lucy to live with her old high school sweetheart (though it's a consensual decision, with Lucy telling Lainee she can take care of herself). And it's not enough that Chuck is an overprotective patriarch who believes women shouldn't work, he's also abusive, giving a clear-cut excuse for her mother to finally end the relationship, as if Lainee's dissatisfaction in their marriage wasn't reason enough.
Where the film goes wrong is that it tries too hard while it packs as many tumultuous situations for poor Lucy as it possibly can in an extreme effort to be taken more seriously, but it actually has the reverse effect on the viewer, because it's less believable that all of this would be happening to a young girl. It's like one after another after another. The poor girl cannot catch a break, at all. All of this doesn't allow the film to carry the emotional weight that it wants.............................................................................
"Puppylove"
starring: Solene Rigot, Audrey Bastien, Vincent Perez
directed by: Delphine Lehericey
written by: Delphine Lehericey and Martin Coiffier
Here is another teenage girl, coming-of-age story about a young girl exploring her sexuality. This one gets it right, or at least, better than my previous film reviewed. Perhaps the difference here is that this is a French film and their culture is more open and free-spirited about sexuality and nudity than the U.S. (being more repressed).
The film focuses on Diane, a 14 year old girl (played by Rigot) who begins to explore her sexuality after spying on and becoming intrigued by her neighbor (played by Bastien).
Diane lives with her father and younger brother. She has a friend, Antoine, whom she starts and stops her sexual exploration with rather quickly, deciding mid-exploration that she's not necessarily ready to lose her virginity (well, perhaps maybe she was simply re-thinking her partner in the tryst). Meanwhile, her mysterious and intriguing neighbor, Julie, is a new student at Diane's school and they strike up a friendship. Everything sort of plays out like the French version of the great film "Thirteen" from the early 2000s, but not in a cheap way. Everything comes off as authentic.
As Julia and Diane grow closer, they begin to flirt with each other and kiss. Their families also become more friendly, and Diane goes on a vacation with Julia and her parents. There, Julia seduces a bartender. Although Diane initially refuses to join the two in a threesome, she later knocks on the door and watches the two have sex. Julia encourages Diane to have casual sex with a man at a club, but after he demands that she perform oral sex on him, Diane insists that she and Julia leave. Later, the two girls go on a trip with Christian and Marc. Julia flirts with Christian despite Diane's discomfort, and the girls engage in a threesome with a local man, Paul.
Julia flashes Christian, and as he stares at Julia, Diane chastises him. After Christian becomes drunk that night, Julia begins kissing him and undressing. Christian weakly pushes her away and tells her that it is a bad idea, but she continues her attempts to seduce him. Christian eventually gives in, and the two have sex outside against a tree. As Diane looks for her friend, she is disgusted to see the two having sex, and she slaps her father. Christian apologizes to her, and as she storms off, he drives after her. After he picks her up again, Diane asks Julia whether she would run away with her if she asked. Disinterested, Julia says that she would not, and Diane walks into the traffic at a busy road, much to the horror of the others. The film ends as Diane stands on the other side of the road and smiles.
This is a great, worthwhile film, if you can deal with the realism and the uncomfortable-ness of watching these two girls explore their sexuality, giving us a full frontal view, sometimes. It's done tastefully, though, and with meaning behind it, not exploitatively.
............................................................................
"Alex in Venice"
starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Katie Nehra, Chris Messina, Don Johnson, Derek Luke, Matthew Del Negro, Timm Sharp, Marin Hinkle, Beth Grantwill mcCormack
directed by: Chris Messina
written by: Katie Nehra, Jessica Goldberg
I became a fan of Mary Elizabeth Winstead's after seeing her in "Death Proof" (the Quentin Tarantino film that was paired with "Planet Terror" as an homage to Grindhouse films) in 2007. She also had a role in "Scott Pilgrim V. the World (which I saw because I loved the graphic novel series). I also loved her in "The Spectacular Now" and "Faults" (which I recently reviewed).
This is another indie film that I discovered thanks to Netflix and it left me pleasantly surprised, even given its laid-back nature of storytelling for what could be considered rather heavy subject matter.
The story revolves around Alex (Winstead) who is a workaholic lawyer for an environmental group (fighting a big case at the moment her) when her world gets thrown into upheaval. Her husband (played by Messina, whom also directed) decides one day that he's had enough to being stiffed by his wife, and his role of stay-at-home dad. That's when her life changes and her carefully ordered existence is thrown for a loop and she begins to realize, perhaps, who much she took her husband for granted; but it's also when she really starts to live her life, after the realization that balance is necessary.
On top of her huge caseload occasioned by an important trial, she now bears full responsibility for the needs of her 10-year-old son, Dakota (Skylar Gaertner), and forgetful dad, Roger (Don Johnson), as well as daily cooking and cleaning. The original can-do girl, expert at turning mountains into molehills (at least in her mind), Alex puts on a happy face and proceeds to multitask — with mildly disastrous results. Then her spontaneous, sexy, free-spirited sister, Lily (Katie Nehra, credited as a co-writer), arrives from New York and proceeds to assume the household chores in her own inimitable style, simultaneously prodding her overly serious sister to lighten up.
Having never been to Venice Beach, CA- I can only assume that the mood of the film is borrowed from the beach-front atmosphere, which has some real-life bohemian roots and is now largely becoming gentrified. This plot point comes in handy when Alex's big case happens to be against a real estate developer hell-bent on building a spa on "sacred" environmental ground, because he wants to give back to the community that helped raise him by creating jobs. Frank (played by Derek Luke) and Alex also happen to begin a rather interesting, conflict-of-interest type of relationship, but it seems good for Alex because Frank is allowing her to explore some of life's simplest pleasures (re: sex), which she seemed to leave rather unexplored during her entire relationship with her husband.
I appreciated how the film did not focus on the fact that George abandoned his family. In fact, it sort of negates that fact, by really presenting George as a decent father and a generally nice guy who has not been allowed to pursue his goals or really live his own life. The couple needed to separate in order to fully explore their own lives.
Let's be honest though, the film belongs to Winstead. Alex's gradual metamorphosis into a richer, more fully realized young woman, working mother, and caretaker for her ailing father (Don Johnson, in a rare film appearance as an old man suffering from the early onsets of Alzheimer's) is really accomplished in several small emotional brushstrokes that happen with the greatest of ease, making it seem more like real life than other films with the same subject matter. Alex comes across as the wholesome girl-next-door/MILF in an ever-shifting pattern of circumstances.
I absolutely loved this film for its simplistic approach.
.............................................................................
"The Living"
starring: Fran Kranz, Jocelin Donahue, Kenny Wormald, Chris Mulkey, Erin Cummings, Andy Sandberg, Brian McMinimee
written and directed by: Jack Bryan
Wow! Just, wow! If I had to review this indie film in one word, it would be that: wow! What a harrowing task. The subject matter is hard to swallow: domestic abuse related to alcohol. The writer/director knows this and certainly does not tread lightly. He doesn't make excuses for the abuser; and he doesn't make the abused wife a small, fragile woman.
“The Living” opens in middle America, anywhere USA, with a haunting melody – “The Werewolf Song” by Michael Hurley. It’s not until you see Teddy (Fran Kranz) waking up in a sea of empty beer bottles and cigarette butts that you understand the genuine meaning behind the word werewolf. Upon realizing his wife Molly (Jocelin Donahue) is not around, he finds her at her mother’s. Molly shows the physical scars of the forgotten night before, an abused face. This does not sit well with Molly’s family, and her brother Gordon (Kenny Wormald) considers that things would be better if Teddy wasn’t around any longer. The subject matter is not to be taken lightly, it’s a hard look at the reality of abuse, but it’s also not a PSA about prevention either. For one, Molly isn’t your typical broken housewife. She may still love her husband, but she’s not going to pretend this didn’t happen, and she’s not going to let Teddy forget it did either.
The script is equal parts a cautionary tale and a story about redemption. We all know that abuse (of any kind is wrong). That's not a debatable fact in this story. Instead, the film explores what leads up to the abuse. This is a story about what happens once decisions are made and the people who have to live with those decisions once they are made. The script is so well written, the viewer is not exactly sure how they should feel about Teddy and Molly's relationship.
The range of emotions that Kranz and Donahue display are mesmerizing. There are hints that this isn’t the first time Teddy has raised a hand to Molly, but Kranz does an interesting job in keeping the audience with him as he makes amends for his mistakes. As for Molly, Donahue depicts her with a strength which is not common with these women, but she does so with an added element of vulnerability. You understand their attraction and love for each other, yet are still unsure of how you feel about them together. The same can’t be said for Molly’s protective brother Gordon or the hired killer he approaches, Howard (Chris Mulkey). From the beginning these two characters are clearly laid out for you. Gordon is pulled between wanting to hide from life and being forced to set up to some sort of heroic character he knows he can’t be. The pull between fear and bravery, masterfully portrayed by Wormald, provokes the audience into wanting to save Gordon. Mulkey does a great job of making Howard’s despicable personality evident, which compels a feeling to rescue Gordon from his rash decision.
There is a powerful reason for the title of the film being "The Living," which we find out as the climax of the film plays out, during the peek of the consequences of decisions made. It's a film about choices (whether we agree with them or not), that even if the end justifies the means, that doesn't necessarily mean they have to be brought to fruition. It's also a story about deep love. It's ultimately a story about life and how unjust it can truly be sometimes.
I love films like this because although they make you cringe, they remain real and true to life. This is what cinema should be, in my opinion. I would take an indie film like this over a Hollywood-ized film any day. Because, it's life, deal with it.
This is an incredible film, but you have to prepare yourself for its impact on you.
.......................................................................................
"Goodbye to All That"
starring: Paul Schneider, Melanie Lynskey, Audrey P. Scott, Anna Camp, Heather Graham, Heather Lawless, Ashley Hinshaw, Michael Chernus, Amy Sedaris
written and directed by: Angus MacLachlan
I found this film on Netflix the other day, without knowing much about it other than it starred Paul Schneider who was on "Parks and Rec" a while back. Melanie Lynskey also played Rose on "Two and a Half Men" and Anna Camp had a brief role on "True Blood." All of this and the story had me intrigued. Then, I found out it was written and directed by Angus MacLachlan who wrote a great film "Junebug" which was the film solely responsible for launching Amy Adams career.
In "Goodbye to All That," Paul Schneider plays Otto Wall, an ordinary, rather oblivious man in his 30s who is blindsided by his wife when she tells him she wants a divorce within the first few minutes of the film. It's clear, right from the start, that Otto has been living his life uncertain of what he wants, but when we meet him he seems to believe he has figured it all out- too bad it's a little too late for his marriage to really work out. I guess the old adage is true, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Because, Otto really wants his wife back, he wants her to realize she's made a mistake, that he's trying to right his wrongs towards her. He is a decent father, after all, so he cannot be all that bad.
Otto's wife, Annie (Lynskey) is the bad guy, because she's given up. There is something heartbreakingly real in her body language throughout the film. It shows us that the reason for their relationship not working out is not due to yelling and altercations. No, instead, it's because of apathy and indifference.
As the wronged party, Otto is now free to reenter the dating pool as a middle-aged man. And though he’d clearly be more comfortable finding another compatible life partner, he’s instead astonished to discover how easily sex comes to him now that the ladies are a little older and a bit more liberated. There’s the old flame (Heather Graham), newly divorced and looking for a no-strings-attached fling; the online hookup (Ashley Hinshaw), a young self-starter who hardly even needs Otto to get off; the conflicted church girl (Anna Camp), who has serious trouble dealing with temptation — to say nothing of the mixed-message boss (Amy Sedaris) who pulls Otto into the closet to coach him on what to expect from divorced life.
Collectively, these experiences sound like tales someone might spin for buddies at the bar, like an extended joke about how much fun a man with no attachments can have at Otto’s age. Of course, the exact same encounters might border on tragic if he’d been playing the field all along. Heck, they border on tragic now, since Otto is clearly looking for more than sex — plenty obvious in the way he perks up at the idea of reuniting with an old summer-camp crush (Heather Lawless). Still, when it comes to priorities, Otto has enough on his plate trying to provide a safe new home for his young daughter (Audrey P. Scott) at a moment when the girl’s parents really ought to be focused on her, rather than themselves.
This isn't a pretentious indie film, but rather a genuine, could-be-anyone situational film that explores human interactions in our 30s, with a man who is acting like he's still in his 20s but knows better than that.
Another great indie film to watch.
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