Indie Movie Preview: October 2014

After a brief, end-of-summer hiatus in September, it's time to gear up for the films hitting theaters this fall! We're smack in the middle of festival season, and that means a whole new spread of exciting indies to feast on--or, if you're not careful, the risk of drowning in the sheer excess of mediocre content also floating around in the mix. As always, my goal is to help sift out the gems from the junk. Sadly, not all of them get released where I live, so if you happen to watch any of them, do comment below with your own reviews and I'll live vicariously through you. That said, here are my picks for must-see October releases...

Gone Girl

Release Date: October 3

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry

What’s the story? When Nick Dunne’s wife Amy vanishes on their fifth wedding anniversary, he initiates a town-wide search party and enlists the help of detectives.  But when the details surrounding her disappearance grow increasingly murky, speculations of murder grow, with Nick himself becoming the prime suspect.

My take: Whatever the term is for the movie equivalent of a book that you just can’t put down, that’s what Gone Girl needs to be, no questions asked. Taking on Gillian Flynn’s 2012 international best seller (8.5 million copies is no joke) that captivated even the thriller-averse likes of me, director David Fincher had his work cut out for him to convert the gripping page-turner into an equally enthralling film.  I confess, I initially resented the casting choice of Ben Affleck as the leading role (really, couldn't they have gone with someone less mainstream?), but on subsequent reflection, he’s actually pretty perfect for the clean-cut, morally ambiguous, husband-in-distress whom you want desperately to trust. After months of anticipation for the film, I’m in equal parts nervous and psyched to see if Fincher's version can satisfy a story so many of us have long visualized in our own minds. 

Whiplash

Release Date: October 10

Director:

Starring: Miles Teller, J.K Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist

What’s the story? Determined not to succumb to the mediocre career that was his father’s fate, talented young drummer Andrew Neyman enrolls in a prestigious music school to hone his craft. But, mentored by an instructor whose merciless teaching methods often spill into abuse, Andrew finds himself pushed to the edge of the deep end, straddling the line between perfectionism and insanity.

My take: Thanks to my interest level in the Divergent series (read: nonexistent) in which he recently had a part, my only exposure to Miles Teller thus far has been his turn as Ren MacCormack’s goofy sidekick Willard in 2011’s Footloose. While that was fun and all, I’m looking forward to seeing him reveal his range as a laser-focused drumming prodigy here, a leading role that’s earned him resounding praise at Whiplash’s showings at Sundance and Cannes earlier this year.  Watching him berated & bullied, even slapped, in the trailer by a cutthroat J.K Simmons, is enough to make one wince in both sympathy and horror. With its fairly straightforward story, Whiplash’s success seems to rest on its impact as a performance-driven film depicting the ugly side of ambition.

Dear White People

Release Date: October 17

Director: Justin Simien

Starring: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon P Bell

What’s the story? Student activist Samantha takes to her campus radio show to call out racial stereotypes. As she broadcasts her views against the diversification of a traditionally all-black dorm, her life intersects with three other individuals on campus navigating, criticizing, even exploiting the culture of university race relations.

My take: Judging from the steady flow of snarky quips dished out by lead character Samantha in the trailer (i.e. “the minimum requirement of black friends needed to not seem racist has just been raised to two. Sorry, your weed man Tyrone doesn’t count”), debutant director Justin Simien’s feature comedy is primed to simultaneously shock, amuse, and make us think. And judging from its “Audience Award” at the San Francisco International Film Festival and “Breakthrough Talent Award” at Sundance, among others, Simien’s no-holds-barred satire of the politics of race has evidently struck a chord with viewers. I love the idea of a film that’s brave enough to take an often sensitive and polarizing issue and uses its volatile energy to appeal to our collective senses of humor. I’ll be watching this both as entertainment and as a study on one brave individual’s unique approach to address a 21^st century society in which racial prejudice and stereotyping is still far from obsolete.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Release Date: October 17

Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

Starring: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, Amy Ryan

What’s the story? Adapted from Raymond Carver’s stage play What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Birdman follows an aging, has-been celebrity once celebrated as a on-screen superhero, as he attempts to reclaim his fame, career, and dissolving family by starring in a Broadway play.

My take: I admit, the oversized CGI birds in the trailer make me nervous as to just how bizarre things are going to get in this film. However, Birdman, for all its hints at being some sort of enigmatic and supernatural satire, nonetheless looks to be a fascinating critique of the fickle and unforgiving film industry, as well as a poignant story of one man’s battle to remain relevant in a world that seems to have moved on. Plus, there is just no way I’m not watching a movie that’s earned a 9.0 rating on IMDB, is made by the guy who gave us Babel, is already vibrating with Oscar buzz, and has Emma Stone and Edward Norton and Zach Galafianakis in it. Lots to look forward to here.

Men, Women & Children

Director: Jason Reitman

Release Date: October 17

Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Adam Sandler, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever

What’s the story? High school teens and adults struggle to maintain their relationships, both with others and themselves, in the face of the Internet’s ever-expanding power and contemporary society’s alarming tendency to live out most of our lives online.

My take: Like many, I was automatically intrigued by Men, Women & Children’s trailer: a dialogue-free, no-voiceover compilation of scenes contextualized only by mysterious, sometimes suggestive text messages exchanged by the characters. While unusual for a preview, it’s a clever way for director Jason Reitman to set the tone of this novel-turned-film. Tapping into a phenomenon that has become commonplace in our everyday lives, he shines a glaring light in the promo itself onto the irony of our increased digital interactions resulting in diluted real-life intimacy and a greater sense of loneliness. If so much can be established in a two-minute trailer, imagine how it all plays out in the full-fledged feature. We’ve seen cinematic explorations of hitting a technology saturation point in films like Her and Transcendence, but Jason Reitman’s unique way of infusing humor with darkness—not to mention the eclectic ensemble cast he’s assembled—will hopefully lend Men, Women & Children a compelling perspective.

Indie Movie Preview: July 2014

The meaning of what constitutes an “indie film” is hotly contested among the film community (although I think we can all agree that Transformers doesn’t qualify). I don’t claim to be an authority on the term, but as an avid moviegoer I do find myself often seeking out the smaller, lower-scale productions that haven’t spent 80% of their budgets on marketing. Amidst the commercial cash cows, yuppie romcoms, and superhero franchises that regularly hog the theaters, I urge you to consider the bounty of relatively below-the-radar films slipping onto screens in between their behemoth counterparts.  

Read on for my picks of must-see indie releases this July!

Begin Again

Release Date: July 4

Starring: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, James Cordon, Hailee Steinfeld, Catherine Keener, Adam Levine, Mos Def

What’s the story? When singer-songwriter Gretta—newly dumped by the boyfriend she moved to New York with—sparks the interest of downtrodden record label executive Dan, the two decide to merge talents in a new partnership, setting the stage for unique and life-changing experiences.

My take:  It’s not just the impressive names on its marquee—including Mark Ruffalo in that signature “pitiful screw-up” role that only he can pull off endearingly—that make this film an appealing choice at the cinema this weekend. With an addictive (in a guilty-pleasure kind of way) soundtrack on which Keira Knightley croons some of the tunes herself, plus some quintessential Manhattan backdrops that just scream “summer,” there’s an irresistible feel-good aura to Begin Again.  I’ve already purchased my ticket.

Boyhood

Release Date: July 11

Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette

What’s the story? Director Richard Linklater (of Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight fame) clouds the lines between fiction and reality in this story documenting moments of a young boy’s life as he goes from 5 to 18 years old over the course of the film, thus literally coming of age both on and off-screen.

My take: It may not have been on my radar for the whopping 12 years it took to make, but I’ve long anticipated Boyhood nonetheless. Linklater’s gift for organic storytelling, and extracting humor as well as wisdom from the mundane is bound to reach new heights as he follows his subject navigating the pains and pleasures of growing up. From the few clips I was shown during a live Q&A event with Linklater himself a few weeks ago, Boyhood promises to be an unprecedented portrait of childhood. I’m trying not to read the rave reviews already pouring in from those lucky pre-screeners; to say I’m looking forward to this would be such a gross understatement, it would border on dishonesty.

Life Itself

Release Date: July 11

Starring: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel

What’s the story? While it’s not technically an indie, my list would be incomplete without mention of this nonfiction documentary of one of the most iconic modern-day enthusiasts, authorities, and educators on film.

My take: I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I want to be like Roger Ebert when I grow up. Say what you will about movie critics or the inevitable bias of documentaries, there’s no denying that Ebert was, for many, the definitive voice of film journalism. As someone who grew up on and was greatly influenced by the approachable nature of his reviews, yet has little insight into his own story, it’s a particularly personal connection that draws me to this deeper look behind the man who made film criticism accessible while keeping it an art.

Wish I Was Here

Release Date: July 18

Starring: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin

What’s the story? When a struggling actor, flailing family man, and all-around aimless human is forced to home school his children, he finds his life thrown under a revelatory magnifying glass and learns some of his own lessons along the way.

My take: Just when I had concluded that Zach Braff peaked when he wore a garbage bag and screamed from the top of a tractor in 2004, his newest writing/directing venture, in which he’s all grown up as a 35-year old father of two, gives me a glimmer of hope not to dismiss him as a has-been just yet. The film’s lighthearted yet poignant and reflective approach to life’s crossroads shows lingering strains from Garden State, but I’m curious for Braff’s perspective now that he’s a decade older and (presumably) wiser.

A Most Wanted Man

Release Date: July 25

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Willem Dafoe, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright

What’s the story? The film adaptation of spy novelist John Le Carre’s story about the murky identity and loyalties of a Russian/Chechen immigrant in Hamburg.

My take: On a regular basis, spy thrillers aren’t my cup of chai. But the intriguing combination of actors here, coupled with the fact that John Le Carre is known to write a pretty captivating page-turner, and most importantly, the sad truth that there are few more opportunities to watch Philip Seymour Hoffman work his magic on the big screen after this…it would simply feel wrong to pass A Most Wanted Man up. If there’s anyone who can make this genre palatable even to me, it’s Hoffman. I must pay my respects.

Magic in the Moonlight

Release Date: July 25

Starring: Emma Stone, Colin Firth

What’s the story? When a questionable clairvoyant has a family of socialites under her spell, an English magician is enlisted to investigate whether she’s bogus or bona fide.

My take: Another film that perches precariously on the periphery of the indie category, but since you can’t exactly call Woody Allen mainstream either, I’m leaving him here as the final release of the month. That also works out well because I can then say that I saved the absolute best for last. Whimsical, nostalgic, positively brimming with Cote d’Azur charm…Magic in the Moonlight has in spades all the ingredients that worked so well in favor for Allen’s other films in recent years. Whether those elements can once again create a magical story or not remains to be seen, but I’m pretty sure that with Emma Stone and Colin Firth sharing a frame, we’re already guaranteed an enchanting experience.