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| Hushpuppy & Beasts of the Southern Wild are leading this summer's Indies. |
Regardless after being bombarded with ads for a month what I tell you likely won't make a difference. For example if I tell most guys that Magic Mike is quite likely a better film than Ted they're still more likely to go see the movie centered around a foul mouthed teddy bear than they are the one about male strippers. So instead I will give you the rundown on the indie films on their way over the next two to three months.* In case your questioning my indie taste it should be noted I have previously recommended the hilarious Cedar Rapids, Win Win which was at least equal to Oscar winner The Descendants, Woody Allen's excellent & award winning Midnight in Paris, & another Oscar winner in Beginners. So don't you dare question me! Now onto the movies...**
*It bares mentioning that all release dates are limited, thus if you live in Tucson these movies likely won't show up for 2-4 weeks past the initial release date, & when they do they'll likely only show at El Con or The Loft
**Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes & IMDb for aiding in the summaries.
10. The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (Rated R; out in limited release July 27)
What it's about: At a family reunion two brothers secretly compete in their homemade 25 event Olympics. When their brutal & disruptive competition is uncovered they must decided between completing their competitive battle & doing what's best for the family.
Why you should see it: Filmed in 2008 it's a cheap looking movie with a no name cast brought to you by Jay & Mark Duplass (The League) who specialized in such films before they found larger budgets & some mainstream success with Cyrus & Jeff, Who Lives at Home. The former movie was a solid dramedy & the latter my favorite of this year so I recommend this & anything else the Duplass brother's do.
9. Celeste and Jesse Forever (Rated R; out in limited release August 3)
What it's about: Celeste (Rashida Jones, I Love You, Man & TV's Parks and Recreation), a driven business woman, & Jesse (Any Samberg, Hot Rod & Saturday Night Live), an unemployed guy in no hurry to find a job, are divorcing & yet they're attempting to stay best friends even as they begin to see other people.
Why you should see it: Well first off Jones (who is also making her writing debut) is awesome. Whether it's because she graduated from Harvard, she was Karen on The Office, she's on the best comedy on TV or because she hangs out with these guys there's know denying her awesomeness. Samberg's no slacker himself having starred in the underrated Hot Rod & being a lead member in the brilliant Lonely Island. Hopefully this film helps wipe the stain away from having been in That's My Boy. The two leads are bolstered by a strong supporting cat featuring Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Emma Roberts (Scream 4), & Chris Messina (Julie & Julia). It's also directed by the same guy who did the bleak but good The Vicious Kind, which of course you probably haven't seen... But anyway this looks pretty good.
8. For a Good Time, Call... (Rated R; out in limited release August 31)
What it's about: Reserved Lauren (Lauren Miller, who co-wrote & happens to be Mrs. Seth Rogen) & overly outgoing Katie (perennial supporting character Ari Graynor) didn't get along in college but when they both pine after a New York City apartment that neither can afford on their own their mutual friend (Justin Long) re-introduces them & the two decide to room together. Then when Lauren discovers Katie's working as a phone sex operator she recognizes a business opportunity & their new business partnership quickly takes off.
Why you should see it: It sounds a bit like a bad sitcom & indeed many of the reviews say it is rather sitcommy in premise & execution, but they also say it's hilarious. If you don't believe them or me watch the red band trailer below, but be warned it spoils some great cameos.
7. Killer Joe (Rated NC-17; out in limited release July 27)
What it's about: When drug dealer Chris (Emile Hirsch, The Girl Next Door) has his stash stolen by his mother he needs to come up with $6,000 quick, or he's dead. Chris goes to the trailer park to see his dad (Thomas Hayden Church, Easy A) & their they hatch a plan to kill Chris's mom, who everyone hates, for her substantial life insurance policy. They decide to hire Detective "Killer" Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey, A Time to Kill), a hit man willing to do the deed for an upfront fee. However when they can't pay the fee Joe takes Chris's younger sister Dottie (Juno Temple, Year One) as collateral until the money has been collected & his fee can be paid.
Why you should see it: If you like violent, twisted, tales with dark humor sprinkled throughout this is clearly the movie for you. In fact it's so messed up it warranted an NC-17 rating. Doesn't hurt critics are loving it & calling it one of McConaughey's best performances, & of course the rest of the cast isn't half bad either.
6. Robot and Frank (Rated PG-13; out in limited release August 24)
What it's about: Set in the near future Frank (Oscar nominee Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon) is a retired jewel-thief whose two children (James Marsden, Cyclops in the X-Men movies, & Liv Tyler, Armageddon) worry about him living on his own. After considering putting him in a home Frank's son instead buys him a robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard, Jarhead) programmed to improve his health, physically & mentally. At the same time Frank begins to date a librarian (Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, Dead Man Walking) & he slowly begins to befriend his robot. When an opportunity presents itself Frank once again decides to be a burglar, this time with the help of his robot.
Why you should see it: When given the chance the 74-year-old Langella remains one of the best actors today, & Sarandon is typically excellent as well (she certainly was in this year's fantastic Jeff, Who Lives at Home), & in this offbeat buddy picture he's said to have given a strong performance. Reviews are good thus far & the preview gives the impression of a fun, crowd pleasing, film.
5. Take this Waltz (Rated R; out now in limited release & on demand)
What it's about: Margot (Michelle Williams, My Week with Marylin) is in her late twenties & happily married to a cookbook writer (Seth Rogen, Knocked Up), or at least she is until she runs into a handsome artist named Daniel (Luke Kirby) & has immediately has intense chemistry with him. When she learns Daniel lives across the street Margot's life only becomes more complicated.
Why you should see it: Michelle Williams may be the best actress working today, & that includes Meryl Streep, & she seems to have found another strong role hear. Rogen's known for his great comedic work in the Apatow factory but has been successfully branching out into more dramatic work with last year's great 50/50 & now this. In addition comedian Sarah Silverman has a major supporting role in a movie with strong critical support.
4. Ruby Sparks (Rated R; out in limited release July 27)
What it's about: Calvin (Paul Dano, Little Miss Sunshine) is a novelist who found success early but has now been struggling for some time when he makes a breakthrough & creates a character named Ruby who inspires him. However when Calvin finds Ruby (Zoe Kazan, It's Complicated, who also wrote the film) alive & sitting on his couch a week later he's more than a little confused as to how he created a living, breathing person. Then when he realizes his writing controls Ruby he must decide how to wield this power, or if he wants it at all.
Why you should see it: Dano is one of the best young actors today, but feel people know it because he largely sticks to indie fair. The rest of the cast is strong as well with Annette Benning (American Beauty), Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro), Chris Messina (Devil), & many others. Most of all though this is the first film the directing team of Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris since their astounding debut Little Miss Sunshine, so you have to figure it's pretty good.
3. Your Sister's Sister (Rated R; out now)
What it's about: Jack (Mark Duplass, The League) is still struggling to get over the death of his brother so his best friend Iris (Emily Blunt, The Adjustment Bureau) tells him to go to her family cabin on an island in the Pacific Northwest so that he can have some time alone to find peace. However when Jack arrives he finds Iris' sister Hannah (Rosemarrie Dewitt, Rachel Getting Married) who is recovering from the end of a 7-year relationship. The two get to drinking which leads to an awkward sexual encounter that only gets worse when Iris arrives the following morning. What follows is a revealing stretch of days for all three.
Why you should see it: Blunt's as charming an actress, & it would seem person (she's married to John Krasinski after all), as is working today, Dewitt is also wonderfully talented, & Duplass does some of the better work on The League & by the end of this year may be the king of indie films (he & his brother also originally came up with the idea for this film but decided not to write or direct because the brother dying aspect was too difficult for them). It's gotten rave reviews & I'm seeing it tomorrow so I hope to be further recommending it soon.
2. Safety Not Guaranteed (Rated R, out now)
What it's about: A Seattle newspaper reporter (Jake M. Johnson, New Girl) & two interns (Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation, & Karan Soni) investigate a classified ad asking for a time travel companion. They find Kenneth (Mark Duplass, again!), an affable but paranoid supermarket employee who believes he's discovered the secret to time travel & intends to depart again soon.
Why you should see it: Anyone who watches Parks & Recreation (which should be everyone since it's the best comedy on TV) or saw Funny People understands the brilliant deadpan of Aubrey Plaza, who here finally gets a leading role hear. Similarly if you watch New Girl you know how talented Jake Johnson is whether he's making dry comments or spouting out nonsense. These are two of my favorite television actors plus the aforementioned, multiple times, Mark Duplass so I'm in & it seems others are too as critics have loved it & the film won a screenwriting award at the Sundance Film Festival.
1. Beasts of the Southern Wild (Rated PG-13; out now)
What it's about: In an isolated bayou community a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy (newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis) must deal with her father's failing health and environmental changes as she learns to survive on her own & leaves her home to find her mother.
Why you should see it: I've watched the preview multiple times & I still don't have a great idea of what's going on, however what I do know is that it's the best reviewed English language movie of the year, it's won prizes at four major film festivals including the esteemed Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, & people are seriously talking about Quvenzhané Wallis for major awards consideration. I don't know about you but that's enough to make this one of my must see films of the summer.
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