Category Archives: indie

Stellar Director and Cast Drive “Meadowland”

drama, indie, movies, , , , ,
meadowland

Her directorial debut, Reed Morano’s Meadowland, takes a brave look at two people in deep pain. 

They struggle with the darkness, which captivates one’s attention like crazy.

The first scene sets up the story and the movie’s overall tone.  We meet a married couple, played brilliantly by Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson. They are on a family trip and lose their young son. Abduction is what everyone assumes happened to the child.  The story follows the aftermath of their loss, one year later. Two people who were once in love are now individually alone.  The marriage crumbles from the inside while starting at the edges.  The mother wanders to the subway in the middle of the night, her maternal love feeling empty.  The father is a New York City cop who turns cold, trying to resolve his issues at a support group but failing even to make that work.  They live in the past with only memories barely keeping them awake from the tragedy.

This is a very sad movie, and as a parent, a hard movie to watch.  Yet the performances are beautifully executed and capture the melancholy and carelessness that follow the loss of a loved one. The supporting cast, including Elizabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, and John Leguizamo, offers deep, rich colors of despair.

Reed Morano, who is known in the industry as a cinematographer for such notable movies as Frozen River and The Magic of Belle Isle, takes the viewers on an unbelievable and unforgettable journey as she guides these tormented characters.

Meadowland is beautifully shot and an expertly crafted movie, yet it is sad. Your mindset needs to be ready for a downer because the subject matter will turn your stomach inside out with emotion and fear of losing your own children.

Ryan Reynolds in “Mississippi Grind”

drama, indie, movies, , , , , ,
missippgrind

Directed and written by both Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, Mississippi Grind follows two gamblers trying to hit it big.

The movie opens with Gerry, played by Ben Mendelsohn, walking into a locally owned casino in Dubuque, Iowa. He is a regular because everyone knows him. Yet, a new face is at his standard poker table. He is a younger gambler named Curtis, played by Ryan Reynolds. Gerry is thoroughly down on his luck and professes he is in real estate. Curtis reeks of charisma and self-confidence. Both gamblers hit it off and, at the spur of the moment, decide to enter the “big game” in New Orleans.  The $25 thousand buy-in is worth the drive from Iowa. The movie plays out nicely as a road movie and character-driven independent film.

The movie deals with gambling as a subject of concern, and arrives at the point of addiction to gambling. Each gambler relies on superstition to pull off a win. Gerry is a likable guy who has a long list of failures. On the road trip, he visits his ex-wife. The gut-wrenching sadness Mendelsohn portrays when he realizes she is remarried and didn’t even tell him is worth the watch. Curtis is the polar opposite of Gerry. He literally stinks of confidence. Gerry tells Curtis he is his lucky charm, and seeing them play off each other is a good moment in the movie. The soundtrack by Scott Bomar is outstanding and features many of the old blues artists and songs.

The movie is not your typical uplifting story, but it is not all that sad either. Clearly, the end is farfetched and the characters’ principles are nonexistent. The movie should have ended a bit sooner, but it went on to a happy ending, which isn’t bad. In real life, gambling is an unsuccessful venture. As a whole, people who gamble lose more than just money. They lose their dignity. Yet, I do like a Hollywood ending.

“The Quiet Ones” Review

horror, indie, movies, , , , , ,
thequiet

I am not a horror fan, but I love movies like The Sixth Sense or The Others. The Quiet Ones is a cross between these two movies, but it is still a horror movie. The film is based on a true story and is entertaining.

Directed by John Pogue (The Skulls, Quarantine II), the movie lacked a strong storyline and character development. Don’t get me wrong, the film is worth seeing if you love horror, but it’s not out of this world.

Based on a natural experiment that occurred at Oxford in 1974, this film brings to light the profound notion of what the supernatural might manifest in the minds of believers with a few screws loose.

We follow Professor Coupland (Jared Harris), graduate students Krissy (Erin Richards) and Harry (Rory Fleck Byrne and videographer Brian (Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay). The group investigates the psychic phenomena produced by the suicidal young Jane (Olivia Cooke) with the justification of treating her. Like all psychiatric treatment, it’s brutal and inhumane.

Coupland’s techniques are questioned as Jane’s health increasingly becomes at risk, and he turns frenzied in his mania to treat her. The story’s drama becomes intense when Coupland and Brian clearly share a bloodthirsty importance that skirts a sexual obsession in saving her. Their actions cause conflicting measures. Jared Harris’s acting is inspiring and committed, while Sam Claflin portrays the entire story with emotional weakness. Olivia Cooke directed her crazed, disturbed, unstable and sensitive angst well.

As I said, The Quiet Ones is excellent and entertaining, with gripping, shocking, scary and long scenes wound up in a ball about to spring out with a creep factor of 150 plus. The movie had to explain why all this horror was happening, a rather dull point, and there is a twist.

“Where Hope Grows” Faith-Based Movie

indie, movies, , , ,
wherehopegrows

Written and directed by Chris Dowling, Where Hope Grows stars Kristoffer Polaha as Calvin Campbell, a former professional baseball player. He would rather spend his time drinking with his buddies than spend time with his troubled seventeen-year-old daughter named Katie. She is going out with an older guy, who is all hands and aching for a touch. Katie knows her father doesn’t approve of her boyfriend, yet she runs to her boyfriend’s arms when her dad pays no heed to her wanting his attention.

Calvin goes to the local grocery store to pick up some food and alcohol. He meets an employee with Down syndrome named Produce, who just happens to work in the produce department. He is a reliable employee who knows all the SKU numbers for produce by heart. Calvin is impressed with Produce because he works hard, and recognition from management eludes him, but that doesn’t stop him from working just as hard. He makes many friends among the customers because he is so helpful. Even though Calvin wants to be his friend for some obscure reason, he thinks Produce can help him get his life back on track.

It is easy to see where the story goes from here as a Faith-based movie. There is a lesson in redemption and in paying attention to the ones you love. The movie is predictable, but the acting is fine. The movie’s message, “not underestimating people” or “not giving up on people,” is clear and needs to be shared.

Bonus extras on the Blu-ray include deleted scenes, a digital HD copy, audio commentary with Chris Dowling, and a featurette on the casting of David DeSanctis, who does a fine job as Produce.

“Black Box”

horror, indie, movies, science fiction, , , , ,
blackbox

Written and directed by Matthew Schilling, the Black Box stars Brad Dourif, who is known for his acting talents in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Jason London, Ray Park and Kevin Sorbo also star in this sci-fi thriller.

You would think since Schilling both wrote and directed the movie the story would be pretty good. Like Woody Allen, Nicole Holofcener, James Cameron and Wes Anderson, to name a few, typically create a vision that is solid and good. Unfortunately, Schilling didn’t pull this off.

Most reviews for Black Box have not been good unless the reviewer was a sci-fi fan. The suspense is good, with strong acting, but the story is a little hard to follow and makes very little sense. I will give it my best shot to try to explain the movie. The black box contains secrets to one’s desires. Vastly different people meet by chance, and as it changes hands, which happens every so often, the new owner is willing to do anything for what the box holds inside. The thing inside is the one thing the person covets the most. So much so, it makes them desire it at a dangerous cost.

A mysterious cowboy, played by Kevin Sorbo without much dialogue, delivers the payback in the form of an immortal assassin. The ending is not the best part of the movie. It ends abruptly with a one-liner. If Schilling had wrapped up the ending properly, the movie would have been better and more enjoyable to watch.

 

“The Dead Land” History of New Zealand

action, foreign films, indie, movies, , , ,
deadlands

The movie takes place in New Zealand before colonial times when Maoris ruled New Zealand. Polynesian people are the ancestors of the Maori. They originated from Southeast Asia and migrated to New Zealand. The movie is about two Maori tribes that have an ancient rivalry.  The conflict has been resolved, and the tribes live in harmony.

Until a young war chief, Wirepa, covets the glory gained in battle by rekindling the ancient rivalry. He violently attacks the other tribe. The Chief’s son, Hongi, survives with a few other members of his tribe. Hongi goes after them with full out assault on revenge.

As a strategic plan, they decide to cross through the `Dead Lands’, hence the movie’s name, The Dead Lands, where it is believed that a warrior spirit lies in wait. The spirit will devour any person who trespasses, adding a haunting tale to the storyline.

The rest of the movie is an action-packed outing, with a bunch of martial arts fighting, blood splattering and other violent plundering. The movie’s backdrop is a beautiful tropical forest, which provides a stark contrast to the story, and the music adds a fair amount of intensity. A standout actor in the upheaval is Lawrence Makoare as the Warrior, who drives his role with vim and vigor, emotion and pure charismatic presence.

The movie is entirely in Maori with English sub titles. Don’t get caught up in the subtitles, just watch the movie, and the story will unfold. I recommend this movie if you enjoy real violence in a rather barbaric fashion that gets under your skin.

“Camilla Dickinson,” a Love Story

book, drama, history, indie, movies, romance, , , , , , ,
camilla

Camilla Dickinson caught my eye because my daughter enjoyed reading A Wrinkle in Time by the same author, Madeleine L’Engle, who authored Camilla, which the movie is based.

Co-written and directed by L’Engle’s goddaughter, Cornelia Duryée Moore, the movie is refreshing and a reminder that films can be simple and poignant without the box-office bonanza. We so often see movies encased with special effects and evil villains out to destroy the world – not the case with Moore’s feature film debut.

Moore was primed to direct this movie with a resume that includes quite a bit of writing, acting and theatrical familiarity. She even co-founded the Seattle Shakespeare Company.

Adelaide Clemens plays the daughter of an affluent family in 1948 Manhattan. At first, she seems shy and withdrawn because her mother, played by Samantha Mathis, is being romanced by a Frenchman. She can’t tell her dad, played by Cary Elwes, because he is stoic and feels his wife is too emotional and immature to confront the issue.

camilla2

Camilla meets her best friend’s brother, Frank, played by Gregg Sulkin. They begin an innocent courtship that is true enough to reinstate her trust in true love.  Like any story, complications crop up and keep the plot moving along, but never really hinder Camilla’s newfound independence.  Her independence is nurtured through Frank, his friends and music.  Camilla shares her desire to be an astronomer and study celestial bodies. Frank encourages her, and her confidence grows.

The whole cast is very good, but the movie is a bit too long and could use some trimming, especially where scenes start too soon and end too late. Still, I enjoyed the movie since it is a believable story of the 1950’s.

The period look is attractive and adds to the era’s story. It is an interesting tale, considering that the author, later in life, wrote wonderful, inspired stories with women as central characters.

“Slow West” Gun-Slinging Story

indie, movies, Uncategorized, western, , , , , ,
slowwest

Directed by John Maclean, Slow West is so typical of the true frontier that the movie chases away the notions of the true hero of the Old West, starring Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jay Cavendish, who is a lovelorn young Scot traveling by horse in the unforgiving frontier. He is hoping to find his lady love, Rose Ross, played brilliantly by Caren Pistorius. Jay comes from a wealthy family, so he isn’t prepared for the rugged terrain and its outlaws.

Rose and her father fled Scotland to escape the law after they accidentally murdered Jay’s relative. Jay has no idea the woman he hopes to find and marry is a fugitive. Just like Scotland’s lore, he is following his heart.

Silas, played by Michael Fassbender, is a gunslinging outlaw. Fassbender is also one of the movie’s producers. He meets Jay by chance and guides him through the frontier in search of his lady love. He promises to keep him alive for fifty dollars now and fifty dollars more when they find Rose.

Jay and Silas are total opposites, so they are not the best of buddies. Silas is a bounty hunter who shoots first and asks questions later. Jay is refined and mature in respectability. He even gets them out of some scrapes now and then. As if the frontier isn’t hard enough on them, they have a gang of bounty hunters following close behind. Payne leads the gang, played menacingly by Ben Mendelsohn. He and the other bounty hunters are looking to collect a $2000 reward for Rose and her father, dead or alive.

Slow West won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, so it has the strength of a really good movie. Yet, it is a simple but distressing story that foretells the end through Jay’s dreams. On the other hand, like a Western, the story has gun fights, deaths and drunkenness, and the ending is more real than the great Westerns of Old Hollywood.

“While We’re Young” Driver, Seyfried, Stiller and Watts

comedy, drama, indie, movies, , , , , , ,
while you young

Director and writer Noah Baumbach is known for intriguing movies like Francis Ha and Greenberg. His movies take the bite out of seriousness by intoxicating them with a light humor.

In While We’re Young, we meet Josh, played brilliantly by Ben Stiller, who is teaching a class on documentary filmmaking.  He is a successful documentary filmmaker, yet he has an unfinished documentary film that he has been working on for a decade. He is unwilling to accept help from the most talented people in his life – his wife and father-in-law – in completing his film, which is his downfall.

He is befriended by a 20-something couple after class and is swindled into having dinner with them, and his wife, Cornelia, played lovingly by Naomi Watts.  Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) become fast friends with Josh and Cornelia.

So, here we have a couple in their forties and a couple in their twenties becoming best friends. The older couple is set in their careers as filmmakers, while the younger couple is not quite clear. We know Jamie wants to be a filmmaker, but Darby’s role is unclear, which should be a hint to the older couple that all is not up and up with the younger couple.

Jamie begins feeding off Josh in hopes of using him to rise to the status of celebrated documentary filmmaker. Josh slowly figures out what Jamie is doing, but it is too late, and all hell breaks loose when Josh and Cornelia come to terms with Jamie’s machination plan.

Charles Grodin plays Cornelia’s father as a celebrated filmmaker in his own right. I am impressed with Grodin’s underplaying the part and enjoyed his moments in the movie.

We are fortunate to have some name droppers for the secondary characters. Dree Hemingway, who is the great-granddaughter of Ernest, plays Jamie and Darby’s roommate and production assistant. Beasty Boy, Adam Horovitz plays Josh’s best friend Fletcher, while Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary plays an interview subject for the documentaries.

The humor in Baumbach’s movie is problematic and gross.  The most impressive part of his movie is the issues of ethics, morality, and friendship within the film industry.

“’71” Fast Pace, Intense

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71

I am impressed with 71 since it had me on the edge of my couch the whole time. It was also a lesson about what was going in Belfast during the uprising.

The movie doesn’t let up, either, thanks to the fine direction by Yann Demange and the unbelievable performances by the entire cast. I am so impressed with the child actors in this movie. Sure. Jack O’Connell is fantastic. He reminds me of Steve McQueen, silent but powerful. The children were so heartwrenching, strong and innocent.

Demange throws the viewer into the grit and emotional torture these people went through during the civil unrest. The lesson is more of a concept of what it was like to be in Belfast. There is no backstory, which isn’t needed since we are at war now with civilians. Diabolical situation with just enough dialogue to keep us connected to the story.

The story concerns the very beginning of “The Troubles.” The violent 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland was rooted in the country’s constitutional status. The movie doesn’t explain “Troubles.” 71 is an experience, a slice of life that will forever be embedded in the souls of those who fought in this bloody war.

The story follows one soldier (O’Connell). His first maneuver is a nerve racking riot on the streets of Belfast. He accidentally gets separated from his unit and is abandoned without a weapon. He tries to survive the night alone in a maze-like landscape with people after him. He has no idea who he can trust, but is scared beyond imagination – it’s intense. The movie is so believable, I thought it was based on a true story. But I haven’t been able to determine whether that is true.

Demange challenges the audience at the outset by introducing the soldier’s son. They spend quality time together, so I was emotionally attached from the beginning and continued to have my fingers crossed throughout his ordeal. O’Connell’s breathtaking performance kept me in awe. He drives the whole movie.  I encourage you to see this movie for the talented work of everyone involved.