A Couple of Failures and Another Couple of Hidden "Indie" Gems
"Red Lights"
starring: Cillian Murphy, Signourey Weaver, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Olsen
written and directed by: Rodrigo Cortes
"Red Lights" could have been a better (received) film if it had perhaps come out before "The Prestige" and/or "The Illusionist." It has a decent cast including Robert De Niro as Simon Silver- a blind mentalist whose specialty seems to be defying the laws of physics with his mind. Silver is a fascinating study of a man who believes himself to be untouchable. His charm and demeanor is enough to hypnotize his sell-out audience anywhere he goes. He certainly has an uncanny stage presence- perfect for fooling audiences with his grand illusions. There is also a deep mystery behind him as well, like there's more to the man than what you see, which might have come from the fact that it's De Niro playing him.
Simon Silver's archenemy, who threatens to expose his secrets, if she could only prove her theories of hoax, is Margaret Matheson, played by Sigourney Weaver. Matheson is a no-nonsense scientist who believes there is an explanation for everything and so she has dedicated her life to exposing psychic fraud (the biggest one being Silver). Weaver certainly knows how to embody her character so that we believe every word that she is saying throughout the film.
Together the protagonist and antagonist make for a great story, which unfolds nicely, including a great set up at the beginning of the film with Matheson and her student-colleague-protege, Tom Buckley (played by Cillian Murphy) going to a family's house that seems to be haunted by paranormal activity. Buckley ends up getting really involved with helping to prove Matheson's theory, especially when the unthinkable happens about halfway through (which I won't spoil here). Elizabeth Olsen has a small supporting role as an ambitious intern with no real breadth or point to the story, as far as the other characters are concerned. The film's story and crescendo really belongs to Cillian Murphy, who owes it all well, proving his worth even more so, about 10 years after his unbelievable leading role in "28 Days Later."
"Red Lights" is a rather surprisingly decent supernatural thriller. The story works really well and I was pleasantly surprised with how easily the film rolled along, without really dragging on. The pay-off at the end is a good shock, but I have to say, I did sort of see it unfolding, which makes it seem like a cop-out.
With no spoilers, I offer you a chance to watch this decent, entertaining film.
............................................................................
"I Am Not a Hipster"
starring: Dominic Bogart, Alvaro Orlando, Tammy Minoff, Lauren Coleman, Kandis Erickson, Brad William Henke, Adam Shapiro
written, directed, and produced by: Destin Daniel Cretton
A couple of months ago, I was able to see perhaps one of the best films of all-time for its heartbreaking portrayal of a musician's cyclical journey through grief and despair, only to come out not so much fixed and better but rather a more self-aware version of his same-self- and this film was the Coen Brothers' near-perfect "Inside Llewyn Davis."
"I Am Not a Hipster" unknowingly is an indie, hipster (as much as it doesn't want to be, maybe) version of the almost-similar story. Regardless of this fact, it still manages to be its own story and stand on its own two legs, creating a protagonist that we can sympathize with, as much as he doesn't want us to feel bad for him, and as much as he fights the battle against being a recognized figure in the indie music scene. He is almost a Groucho Marx figure: "I don't want to be a part of any group that would have me."
The protagonist in question is Brook Hyde (played very well by the unknown Dominic Bogart with his perfect long-ish curly, hipster-esque hair). Much like "Inside Llewyn Davis," this film opens with a scene in which Brook is set to perform in front of an expecting audience. The difference here, though, is that Brook Hyde leaves the stage to throw up in the bathroom. Similar to the aforementioned film, "I Am Not a Hipster" then rewinds to the previous week to show us the journey this musician travels through in order to reach his destination, in front of this crowd. Along the way, we meet his hyperactive and hyper-supportive "manager" Clarke, (played well, too, by Alvardo Orlando) who is also a punching bag for Brook when he is feeling down-and-out about his breaching music career. Clarke gets Brook an interview at a local radio station within the first few minutes of the film, which quickly turns into a hostile takeover, thanks to Brook's lackadaisical attitude towards his first album's success... "It all seems really stupid to me right now...a waste of energy." We don't really understand why a budding musician would take this sort of attitude while agreeing to the self-promotion, but we can tell there is something deeper happening, something more to Brook's story of apathy and self-hatred- and the interviewer cuts the surface by asking about Brook's mother's death two years prior. That opens the wound he seemed to be trying hard to escape from for the past two years- hence his move from his hometown to San Diego.
Then, the filmmakers opening the gaping wound further by inviting Brook's three upbeat sisters back into his life- with a purpose, besides getting Brook to finally open up and confess to himself and one sister why he feels and acts the way he does. Brook is the very definition of a hipster musician, despite the title, even though he seems to be fighting against that stereotype and cliche, you cannot help but see him for the tortured artist making his music in his small apartment that he most definitely is.
The dramatic payoff as to why Brook's sisters and (estranged) father suddenly show-up in his life is welcomed and nearly perfect for this indie gem. I absolutely loved the scene in which Brook hits his realization and breaks down in full confessional tears to one of his sisters, on his bedroom floor, nonetheless. I don't want to ruin it for you, but let me just say, it's hard to hold back the tears, because even though Brook has done everything he can to really make you want to hate him, you cannot help but feel sympathy for him when he confesses to his sister.
I love this indie film and urge you to watch it.
...............................................................................
"Just Like a Woman"
starring: Sienna Miller, Golstifteh Farahani
Poor Sienna Miller cannot seem to catch a break or find herself a decent role in any of the films I've seen her in. Perhaps her best role, role of a lifetime came when she was in a relationship with Jude Law. That may have been the best acting of her life, and so, now that that's over, Miller has found herself spent and grasping at straws to keep her somewhat attainable career afloat. Like I've said before, she appears to look like a poor man's version of Naomi Watts (Watts can act though, solidly).
This film's tag-line was "Thelma and Louise...with belly dancing." That's enticing, except that it's quite a letdown of a feminist, female-empowerment movie.
I'm still not exactly sure what the title of the film is supposed to be implying: "Just Like a Woman." And the belly-dancing is not enough to sit through the 90 minutes.
................................................................................
"Falling Overnight"
starring: Parker Croft, Emilia Zoryan, Barak Hardley, Millie Zinner, Jake Olson
directed by: Conrad Jackson
written by: Aaron Golden, Parker Croft
This indie film knew how to pull me in and attract my intrigue, thanks to its obvious homage to the whole 24 hour newly minted romance that "Before Sunrise" set the stage for, with a bit of a twist.
Parker Croft plays Eliot, a shy, thin boy who has consciously chosen to live his life apart from the rest of his family and become more of a recluse, especially after his somewhat unexplained internet success, which gained him a significant check. The trouble is: he is sick and the next morning he will be going under the knife for a risky, potentially fatal brain-tumor operation.
Eliot happens to wander into a cafe on this particular day. There he meets Chloe, the cute, slightly manic pixie dream girl-esque barista. She is also an off-duty artist, of course. They chat and hit it off instantly, thanks to her charm and wit, which allows Eliot to slowly break out of his shell. Chloe just so happens to have an art show at a local gallery and she invites Eliot along. From there, the audience is taken on the 24 hour trip of their quickly developing romance. I've always been intrigued with these kinds of stories, because the romantic within me wants to wholeheartedly believe that you could meet someone by chance, spend an entire day/night with them, get to know each other so well, and fall in love so deeply that nothing can tear you two apart. Much like in "Before Sunrise," Eliot and Chloe do a few random things to help make the night exciting, but this is much more of a "hipster" culture nowadays and so that's the kind of action we get, including the art gallery show, some late-night bike riding through the city (which has Chloe hit on by a passing car full of college jocks), toe-dipping in a fountain teasing, a birthday party for one of Chloe's best friends, and of course, in order to completely break Eliot out of his shell and give him that one moment of peace and excitement, they share a bed and have sex- after which, Eliot spills his secret about the tumor and the ensuing surgery a few hours away. Chloe appears hurt by this disclosure, but not enough to leave his side. Instead, it brings them closer together, but unfortunately, you never really care about these two characters and how the feel, in general or for each other. The brain tumor seems like a cheap ploy to instigate empathy from the audience. The two unknown actors do a decent job and have nice chemistry with each other, but unfortunately it's just not enough to entice me past an initial viewing. I'd much rather watch "Before Sunrise" over and over again.
starring: Cillian Murphy, Signourey Weaver, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Olsen
written and directed by: Rodrigo Cortes
"Red Lights" could have been a better (received) film if it had perhaps come out before "The Prestige" and/or "The Illusionist." It has a decent cast including Robert De Niro as Simon Silver- a blind mentalist whose specialty seems to be defying the laws of physics with his mind. Silver is a fascinating study of a man who believes himself to be untouchable. His charm and demeanor is enough to hypnotize his sell-out audience anywhere he goes. He certainly has an uncanny stage presence- perfect for fooling audiences with his grand illusions. There is also a deep mystery behind him as well, like there's more to the man than what you see, which might have come from the fact that it's De Niro playing him.
Simon Silver's archenemy, who threatens to expose his secrets, if she could only prove her theories of hoax, is Margaret Matheson, played by Sigourney Weaver. Matheson is a no-nonsense scientist who believes there is an explanation for everything and so she has dedicated her life to exposing psychic fraud (the biggest one being Silver). Weaver certainly knows how to embody her character so that we believe every word that she is saying throughout the film.
Together the protagonist and antagonist make for a great story, which unfolds nicely, including a great set up at the beginning of the film with Matheson and her student-colleague-protege, Tom Buckley (played by Cillian Murphy) going to a family's house that seems to be haunted by paranormal activity. Buckley ends up getting really involved with helping to prove Matheson's theory, especially when the unthinkable happens about halfway through (which I won't spoil here). Elizabeth Olsen has a small supporting role as an ambitious intern with no real breadth or point to the story, as far as the other characters are concerned. The film's story and crescendo really belongs to Cillian Murphy, who owes it all well, proving his worth even more so, about 10 years after his unbelievable leading role in "28 Days Later."
"Red Lights" is a rather surprisingly decent supernatural thriller. The story works really well and I was pleasantly surprised with how easily the film rolled along, without really dragging on. The pay-off at the end is a good shock, but I have to say, I did sort of see it unfolding, which makes it seem like a cop-out.
With no spoilers, I offer you a chance to watch this decent, entertaining film.
............................................................................
"I Am Not a Hipster"
starring: Dominic Bogart, Alvaro Orlando, Tammy Minoff, Lauren Coleman, Kandis Erickson, Brad William Henke, Adam Shapiro
written, directed, and produced by: Destin Daniel Cretton
A couple of months ago, I was able to see perhaps one of the best films of all-time for its heartbreaking portrayal of a musician's cyclical journey through grief and despair, only to come out not so much fixed and better but rather a more self-aware version of his same-self- and this film was the Coen Brothers' near-perfect "Inside Llewyn Davis."
"I Am Not a Hipster" unknowingly is an indie, hipster (as much as it doesn't want to be, maybe) version of the almost-similar story. Regardless of this fact, it still manages to be its own story and stand on its own two legs, creating a protagonist that we can sympathize with, as much as he doesn't want us to feel bad for him, and as much as he fights the battle against being a recognized figure in the indie music scene. He is almost a Groucho Marx figure: "I don't want to be a part of any group that would have me."
The protagonist in question is Brook Hyde (played very well by the unknown Dominic Bogart with his perfect long-ish curly, hipster-esque hair). Much like "Inside Llewyn Davis," this film opens with a scene in which Brook is set to perform in front of an expecting audience. The difference here, though, is that Brook Hyde leaves the stage to throw up in the bathroom. Similar to the aforementioned film, "I Am Not a Hipster" then rewinds to the previous week to show us the journey this musician travels through in order to reach his destination, in front of this crowd. Along the way, we meet his hyperactive and hyper-supportive "manager" Clarke, (played well, too, by Alvardo Orlando) who is also a punching bag for Brook when he is feeling down-and-out about his breaching music career. Clarke gets Brook an interview at a local radio station within the first few minutes of the film, which quickly turns into a hostile takeover, thanks to Brook's lackadaisical attitude towards his first album's success... "It all seems really stupid to me right now...a waste of energy." We don't really understand why a budding musician would take this sort of attitude while agreeing to the self-promotion, but we can tell there is something deeper happening, something more to Brook's story of apathy and self-hatred- and the interviewer cuts the surface by asking about Brook's mother's death two years prior. That opens the wound he seemed to be trying hard to escape from for the past two years- hence his move from his hometown to San Diego.
Then, the filmmakers opening the gaping wound further by inviting Brook's three upbeat sisters back into his life- with a purpose, besides getting Brook to finally open up and confess to himself and one sister why he feels and acts the way he does. Brook is the very definition of a hipster musician, despite the title, even though he seems to be fighting against that stereotype and cliche, you cannot help but see him for the tortured artist making his music in his small apartment that he most definitely is.
The dramatic payoff as to why Brook's sisters and (estranged) father suddenly show-up in his life is welcomed and nearly perfect for this indie gem. I absolutely loved the scene in which Brook hits his realization and breaks down in full confessional tears to one of his sisters, on his bedroom floor, nonetheless. I don't want to ruin it for you, but let me just say, it's hard to hold back the tears, because even though Brook has done everything he can to really make you want to hate him, you cannot help but feel sympathy for him when he confesses to his sister.
I love this indie film and urge you to watch it.
...............................................................................
"Just Like a Woman"
starring: Sienna Miller, Golstifteh Farahani
Poor Sienna Miller cannot seem to catch a break or find herself a decent role in any of the films I've seen her in. Perhaps her best role, role of a lifetime came when she was in a relationship with Jude Law. That may have been the best acting of her life, and so, now that that's over, Miller has found herself spent and grasping at straws to keep her somewhat attainable career afloat. Like I've said before, she appears to look like a poor man's version of Naomi Watts (Watts can act though, solidly).
This film's tag-line was "Thelma and Louise...with belly dancing." That's enticing, except that it's quite a letdown of a feminist, female-empowerment movie.
Marilyn is at a low point in her life. Not only has she lost her job, she comes home to find her unemployed husband sleeping with another woman. The only thing that brings her joy is her belly dancing. Her dance instructor encourages her to drive from Chicago to Santa Fe to compete in a major belly dancing contest, and he lands her a restaurant performance en route. With a few bucks and her costumes, Marilyn hits the road. It almost plays out like a different, just-as-cheap version of the Britney Spears' film "Crossroads." And yes, it's just as bad as the cliche road trip with a reason storyline that serves as a way to simply move the story along.
Mona doesn't have it much better. She lives an oppressed existence, the victim of endless verbal abuse from her mother-in-law. The young wife of Middle Eastern heritage is having difficulty getting pregnant, and her husband's live-in mother constantly berates her and threatens to replace her with another bride. After an unexpected tragedy, Mona decides her lot in life will be better alone and somewhere else.
The two unhappy women happen to know each other casually- Marilyn is a daily customer of the small market owned by Mona and her husband, Mourad. Way too convenient for my taste. I would have preferred some kind of accidental meeting and then the two women discover their commonalities, along the way to their own self-discoveries. When the two run into each other at a nearby rest stop, Marilyn invites Mona along for the cross-country ride. This whole scene played out way too conveniently.
The film contains all the necessary plot-points to tell the story and move the story along.
Marilyn's husband is a jerk. Check. Marilyn loses her job. Check. Mona's husband is a mama's boy. Check. Mona's mother-in-law is overbearing. Check. Marilyn catches her husband and the pizza delivery girl (how gender-bendingly porno clichè, by the way). Check. Tragedy occurs at Mona's house. Check. Hit the road. Check. End Act I.
The women travel. The women dance. There is conflict. The women move on. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. It's all so very dull. The filmmakers have managed to take inspiration from an excellent film and water it down to its blandest roots. Tweak one or two things and this is a Lifetime movie. It's that vanilla.
I'm still not exactly sure what the title of the film is supposed to be implying: "Just Like a Woman." And the belly-dancing is not enough to sit through the 90 minutes.
................................................................................
"Falling Overnight"
starring: Parker Croft, Emilia Zoryan, Barak Hardley, Millie Zinner, Jake Olson
directed by: Conrad Jackson
written by: Aaron Golden, Parker Croft
This indie film knew how to pull me in and attract my intrigue, thanks to its obvious homage to the whole 24 hour newly minted romance that "Before Sunrise" set the stage for, with a bit of a twist.
Parker Croft plays Eliot, a shy, thin boy who has consciously chosen to live his life apart from the rest of his family and become more of a recluse, especially after his somewhat unexplained internet success, which gained him a significant check. The trouble is: he is sick and the next morning he will be going under the knife for a risky, potentially fatal brain-tumor operation.
Eliot happens to wander into a cafe on this particular day. There he meets Chloe, the cute, slightly manic pixie dream girl-esque barista. She is also an off-duty artist, of course. They chat and hit it off instantly, thanks to her charm and wit, which allows Eliot to slowly break out of his shell. Chloe just so happens to have an art show at a local gallery and she invites Eliot along. From there, the audience is taken on the 24 hour trip of their quickly developing romance. I've always been intrigued with these kinds of stories, because the romantic within me wants to wholeheartedly believe that you could meet someone by chance, spend an entire day/night with them, get to know each other so well, and fall in love so deeply that nothing can tear you two apart. Much like in "Before Sunrise," Eliot and Chloe do a few random things to help make the night exciting, but this is much more of a "hipster" culture nowadays and so that's the kind of action we get, including the art gallery show, some late-night bike riding through the city (which has Chloe hit on by a passing car full of college jocks), toe-dipping in a fountain teasing, a birthday party for one of Chloe's best friends, and of course, in order to completely break Eliot out of his shell and give him that one moment of peace and excitement, they share a bed and have sex- after which, Eliot spills his secret about the tumor and the ensuing surgery a few hours away. Chloe appears hurt by this disclosure, but not enough to leave his side. Instead, it brings them closer together, but unfortunately, you never really care about these two characters and how the feel, in general or for each other. The brain tumor seems like a cheap ploy to instigate empathy from the audience. The two unknown actors do a decent job and have nice chemistry with each other, but unfortunately it's just not enough to entice me past an initial viewing. I'd much rather watch "Before Sunrise" over and over again.
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