Indie Round Up #1

Indie Round Up #1



 

 So seeing as all of my recent reviews have been Hollywood films (as that's all I've been seeing at the cinema) I thought I would give my two cents on a few indie/art films that I think you all should have a look at, some of them are new, some not so new but they are all films I think any film enthusiast should watch. I will try and do a little summary review of each of the films in a more informal manner than my main reviews, and I'll try to do regular indie round ups every few weeks or so to mix up old stuff with the big new releases I'll be reviewing.

 

The Kid With A Bike 

 

www.wannagotothemovies.com

 

Well I can't say much about this film other than SEE IT. It's got real heart and will probably make you sob uncontrollably, you don't have to be a film nerd to be able to watch it either. Its not pretentious in any way and is one of the most genuine and emotionally real films I have seen in a while. Its got some heavy themes about childhood and parenting, and does have some seriously gritty scenes towards the end of it. The acting is naturalistic and feels unscripted, Pierre and Dardenne have done a fantastic job of giving the actors plenty of space to do what they feel is right for the scene. See it if you're in the mood for a heartwarming drama about life and childhood. 

 

 

 

 

Weekend

 

tmehollywood.wordpress.com

 



This is a much more adult film than The Kid With A Bike, its a love story about two people who happen to be gay. The thing about this film is that while the main characters are gay, and many people will be put off thinking they won't be able to relate to the characters, the main themes of the film about love and friendship ring true for every sexuality. The film is British, and follows a style not a million miles away from a film like Somer's Town, albeit a bit more arty. The thing that impressed me most about the film is the sheer beauty of the thing, its shot in the most incredible way, and makes the urban city surroundings seem serene, calm and mysterious. The performances are superb for the first time actors, and by the end of the film you will at least feel some sort of emotion, whether you're straight, gay or anything else, due to the down to earth characters, the relatable themes and the sheer brilliance of the direction. See it if you're in an emotional mood, or if you like British indie films.

 



 

 

Tyrannosaur

 



www.filmofilia.com

 

This film is soul crushingly devastating, so much so that it will leave you in a state of depression and turmoil for days after seeing it. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't watch it though, the film is absolutely fantastic and is sure to become known as another one of the greats of British cinema. The film is very Shane Meadows, its gritty, violent and focuses on class as well as domestic violence. The plot involves a working class man on the edge of life who meets a middle class woman at a local charity shop, who gives him the time of day and talks to him, he then uncovers dark secrets about her that lead to an incredibly bleak finale. The performances from both Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan are astounding, and provide a sense of deep realism and grit. Watch this if you're in the mood to be shocked, but be warned that it will make you feel much worse than when you began watching it by the end.  

 

 

The Tree of Life 

 

www.listal.com

 

This is one of my all time favourite films, directed by one of my all time favourite directors, so it would be a crime to not inlcude it in at least one of the indie roundups! This film is visual poetry, it is image driven, there is no real plot and very few spoken words. If all of these things sound pretentious, elitist or too 'arty' for you, I beg for you to reconsider. The film is a mediation on life itself, the question: how will you live your life? The film argues that there are two ways through life, the way of nature and the way of grace. The images are then shown to you, and you must interpret them how you see fit, its that simple. The film begins with a short prologue which introduces the characters and what small plot there is into the film, we are then shown a 30 minute sequence of the birth of life, which begins with the big bang and finishes at the present day. This is very reminicent of Kuberick's 2001: A Space Odysee and many critics argue that this is the 2001 of our time. The images are some of the most breathtaking you will see in a film, the way they are shot is a thing of outstanding technical acomplishment, and make it hard for you to take your eyes of the screen. While some may argue that they need a plot or central characters to be able to watch a film, a piece of work does not have to comform to the stereotypes of a film to be affecting, engrossing and even entertaining. If you don't quite understand what im trying to say, watch the trailer below and you should get what its about. I urge you to see this film, it will make you question your views and opinions, it will make you talk about it for days to anyone that will listen and most of all you will remember it for years to come.

 

 

 

That's it for todays Indie Roundup, I'll be posting more in the weeks to come!



The Cloud Atlas Trailer, so you all have a better idea of what I'm talking about

Cloud Atlas Review

Cloud Atlas Review

 

insidepulse.com

 

Cloud Atlas was finally released in the UK last week, 6 months after the USA release much to my frustration, as since seeing the trailer for it in early 2012 I have been adamant on watching it.

 

Let me get the main problem with the film out of the way first, the sheer length of it. The run time is just under 3 hours, and while I appreciate that there is a lot of content to fit in, and the film was never boring, it strikes me that it could have been cut down by at least half an hour. But even if my bum had gone well and truly numb by the end of it, I felt like it was worth it, as in my opinion Cloud Atlas is one of the most original (Albeit adapted) blockbuster Hollywood films I have seen in a long time.

 

The plot is not even worth trying to explain in this review, as it crosses 6 different time periods, places and events which all intertwine throughout the movie, cutting back and forth between the different planes of narrative. While this jumping of the narrative was very confusing at first, it isn't long before you get used to it. The narratives are all based around similar themes, the themes are relateable to all of us, whether it be life, death, hope, sacrifice or rebellion. The idea of Cloud Atlas is that the narratives are all connected, much like we are all connected, it sounds very pretentious and preachy but it really does all come together nicely by the end, and seems to have accomplished what it was made to do in that regard.

 

One of the unique things about this picture is how all of the main actors within the film play different roles within each storyline. Not only are they playing different characters, but different races and genders too, white people play black people, black people play white people, men play women etc. Its all very confusing at first, and sometimes down right funny, especially Hugo Weaving (Mr Anderson in the Matrix) playing a female retirement home nurse and Tom Hanks playing a multitude of amusing characters. The actors all seem to be on point, most noticeably Tom Hanks and Ben Whishaw, the only drawback to all of this gender/race hopping is that some of the accents are a little off putting, particularly the Asian accents and the made up gibberish accent which is used in one of the main story lines.

 

The visuals are excellent, which is expected considering the film is made by the Wachowski brothers (and now sister) who made The Matrix and V for Vendetta. The two places where the visuals really shine are in the Japanese city of the future and in the mysterious "Valley" which is set on a different planet. In each of these locations you will find sweeping vistas, beautiful landscape design and some rather impressive CGI gadgets that will make nerds drool at the mouth.

 

The film manages to accomplish what it set out to do, which was to make a film from a book that was claimed unfilmable. The Wachowski's have created a truly original film, one which is brimming with love and care, and on repeated viewings is sure to give you something new each time. Its a film that will confuse you, mesmerise you, scare you and in the end impress you, with its style and undeniable confidence and bravery.

 

8.5/10

Battle of the Rom Coms: I Give it a Year vs. This is 40

Battle of the Rom-Coms: I Give It a Year vs. This Is 40

 

 

I Give It a Year Review

 

www.aceshowbiz.com

 

I was expecting this to be a standard rom com affair considering its from the producers of Love Actually and Bridget Jones, and to most degrees I was right. That isn't to say that it was a bad film, far from it, it is in fact one of the better rom coms I've seen recently.

The thing that kept me engaged through most of the film was the humour, the characters were bland and lacked depth, I wasn't really interested in what the characters did by the end of the film. The humour on the other hand was great, its the witty British kind that you dont get in something like No Strings Attached or any other of the schmaltzy and sickly sweet Hollywood productions. The best character by far was the one played by Stephen Merchant, he did a brilliant job of providing some unashamadly dirty and offensive jokes, without being overly crude like the recent Movie 43.

The plot of the film was standard, it worked on a mind numbing, popcorn munching level but nothing more than that. In fact It seems as though there hasn't been any original thought put into this film at all, so while the humour may work on a surface level, the intelligence just wasnt there for me. *SPOILERS* The end of the film was the only thing that made the plot a little more barable, rather than go down the expected route of the couple being happily reunited after realising that they do in fact love each other, they get a divorce, which was slightly unexpected.

 

As well as the somewhat dull plot, there were a good many dull performances in the film as well. Anna Faris in particular played an awful part, and should really stick to the dumb American comedies as she can't seem to play any sort of role other than the one she's played in all 5000 Scary Movies. Spall and Byrne as the two main characters both played decent roles, although they were nothing special or mind blowing they seemed to at least have at least some sort of superficial depth to them, which kept my attention for the duration of the film.

 

So while the film itself may be a standard and generic rom com, the humour is actually brilliant and the witty one liners from Stephen Merchant are worth the price of admission alone.

 

6/10

 

 

This Is 40 Review



 

 

 

I went into this film not knowing a thing about it, I hadn't really watched the trailers and didn't know what it was about. I did however go in with a pre judged idea of what it was going to be like, and while I was wrong and pleasantly surprised, it still didn't completely float my boat.

 

The film is very long, too long in fact, it's so long that it has been aptly named 'This is 40 minutes too long'. Judd Apatow has directed some of my most hated films including Anchorman and Superbad, so its understandable that I was apprehensive about this one. It was a pleasant surprise in that it wasn't dumb, it wasn't slapstick and It was in fact dialogue driven. While I haven't seen Knocked Up, the spiritual predesessor to This is 40, I was told that it's a similar affair by my girlfriend, so if you've seen that you already have an idea what this film is like. It feels unscripted, and while it is tightly scripted, it felt more like a mumblecore film than a Hollywood rom com. The surprise appearance of Lena Dunham, an actress and director who made her fame in the wonderful Tiny Furnature, a mumblecore film helped to give that sort of feeling to the film, which I enjoyed. Being a dialogue driven film you'd like to think that the dialogue is 100% on point, its not, it is rather good though. Many of the jokes in the film are subtle, and are blink and you'll miss it moments, that is of course exluding some of the more crude gags, and a side splitting appearance from Melissa McCarthy who plays an angry school boy's mother.

 

The performances were pretty solid throughout the film, Paul Rudd and Lesley Mann as the main characters had chemistry, and managed to provide some good laughs, the daughters also played good roles, with the youngest giving some heart to the film. The camera work was typical of the genre, it worked but it wasn't anything new or exciting.

 

While some of the jokes are hit and miss, and the film drags on for way too long, I'd say that This is 40 manages to be on par with I Give it a Year, and provides some entertainment, even if it is light and frivolous.

 

6/10



The Perks Of Being a Wallflower Review

Perks of Being a Wallflower Review

 

 

www.graffitiwithpunctuation.net

I know this review is a tad late considering the film came out last Autumn, but now its out on DVD I managed to see it again. I usually find these kind of high school drama/comedy films pretty dull and unrepresentative and just overly sweet, The Perks of Being a Wallflower manages to escape this fate however.

 

The film is based on the popular novel of the same name, and essentially does follow the same formula we've see a thousand times. The main character Charlie is the socially awkward main character who then makes friends with some older kids who expose him to a more exciting world. The film doesn't hide the fact that its aiming at the Charlie's of the real world, the social underdogs who have a taste in 'alternative' music, watch films and read about art. The film however manages to stay away from the overly used indie kid formula though, and gives these teenagers hearts and personalities, more so than your usual teen angst flick. I found some of the characters in the film to be brilliant, such as the absolutely amazing Ezra Miller, who plays a campy character a million miles away from his performance as the school killer in We Need To Talk About Kevin. His character Patrick, as well as the quiet but affecting Charlie are the two best performances of the film. While Emma Watson tries her best to act like a social misfit, she doesn't manage to quite convince, she does however have a pretty solid American accent and manages to at least have a heart.

 

As well as the performances I must talk about the soundtrack, the music in this film is in my opinion an awesome representation of the kinds of songs that these kids would listen to. It includes The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Dexy's Midnight Runners and the astounding Heroes by David Bowie which provides the soundtrack to the films best scene involving an old truck and a tunnel. The soundtrack moves the film up a notch from being a solid teen movie to an above average teen movie, the songs make you feel how the characters are meant to feel. The camera work in the film is fine, with not too many experimental shots going on, and little variation on the format. There is however a shiny, somewhat 70's filter on the lens which makes everything look like it was shot 30 years ago, this adds to the vintage atmosphere of the film, along with the old fashioned music and typewriters, and helps to make the film seem real and full of soul and energy.

 

While there is a minor plot twist at the end, the plot stays relatively bog standard throughout, although there are some tear jerking moments for sure, and some scenes that make you want to get up and dance. To finish this up, the film is a great watch for anyone that feels disenfranchised, anyone who feels that they are maybe not as 'cool' as the other kids in school, or anyone that is into old music, old films, and indie culture. It manages to stay away from typical indie pretentiousness and in the end proves that it does have a heart.

 

8/10



Jeff Who Lives At Home Review

Jeff Who Lives At Home Review

 

 

Fresh from watching Tiny Furniture, the review of which you can read a bit further down, I was recommend this by Netflix. While I intended to see it at the cinema I didn't get round to it, which is a shame because I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

 

The film is a comedy/drama (but more so a drama) about two brothers, one of whom lives at home with his mother and the other with his partner. The film uses the Mel Gibson film Signs as an introduction, in which the main character Jeff played by Jason Segel talks about how he is obsessed with the film and its meaning. This leads onto a plot which is hard to describe, its all over the place but for a reason, and at first can seem slightly confusing. In Jeff's opening monologue he describes the film Signs in the same way, and the film seems to all stem from this monologue. To explain the plot would give the film away, it starts slowly, but soon soars into an emotional and life affirming conclusion, which is at times very moving.

 

The film has a definite 'indie' feel, which mostly comes from the camera work and script, both of which are unusual. The film is shot in a slightly documentary style shaky cam, not on the level of paranormal activity, but the quick zooms and drawbacks are reminiscent of a news broadcast, and add a level of realism instantly. The performances from all of the characters are brilliant, with particular attention to Jeff and his mother played by Susan Sarandon who plays a small but affecting part. The script is extremely well thought out, witty, funny, emotional and intelligent and never cliché. In fact one of the most impressive things about the film is that, while it may follow some of the same trails as a lot of indie films, it never succumbs to the sloppy, tiresome cliches of most Hollywood comedy dramas.

 

While the film may attempt to send up or make fun of similar plots from films like Magnolia or indeed the cited Signs, it succeeds in making a film that is funny, smart and self aware, and that in the end provides a touching and heart warming conclusion. If you need a film to cheer you up, make your life seem more worthwhile or to just have a laugh, this film is for you. Watch it now on Netflix US.

 

9/10

Tiny Furniture Review

Tiny Furniture Review

 

www.thefoxisblack.com

 

I chose to watch this film on Netflix for two reasons: 1. I had heard about the hype surrounding it and wanted to see if it would live up to it and 2. because the narrative about a recently graduated college (university) student is pretty relatable to me being in the last year of my university course. I happy to say that the film definitely did live up to the hype, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an original, funny and in the end heartwarming film.

 

The story follows a 21 year old girl called Aura who has just graduated from university and is back living with her mum and younger sister. The film basically revolves around her as she tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. While some critics may argue that Aura's situation is not as bad as she makes out, considering her mum is wealthy and she has a home to stay in, it is still a problem for a lot of young people including myself. The film is extremely dialogue driven, and employs some of the techniques used in the Mumblecore film movement i.e naturalistic dialogue and an improvised style of acting. This film however is not Mumblecore as it has a tightly written script, which is in fact written AND directed by Lena Dunham who actually plays the main character Aura, especially impressive when the fact she is only 26 is considered.

 

As the film is dialogue driven, it needs to make sure that it is well done, which is it. The dialogue is extremely intelligent, witty and uses a Wes Anderson sense of deadpan humour to really give it it's own feel. All of the actors, non of whom are widely known, play excellent roles, especially the lead, and the hilarious Ashlynn played by Amy Seimetz, who carries a hysterical sense of self importance and pretentiousness about her. Speaking of pretentious, some people may be put off the film by its 'indie' roots and somewhat artsy style, don't be put off as the film is massively down to earth and never self indulgent. This goes even as far as having the main character consciously show off her body, which is one of the most talked about things regarding this film. Lena Dunham's body does not conform to the stereotypes of Hollywood, she isn't skinny, she doesn't have the 'perfect' hour glass figure, and she is covered in tattoos. She however does show off her body, in all, and I mean all of its glory, I think this is a massive step forward in the right direction, showing purposefully her perceived flaws just makes the film even more real, and makes the genuineness of the characters shine through.

 

While not much happens in the film, the narrative kept me engaged throughout the running time, and the ending, while im not going to spoil it, was absolutely perfect. Lena is a young and talented directors/actor and she has a bright future ahead of her if this film is anything to go by. A wonderful indie gem that will make you feel great about anything that is bothering you through its sweet charm and down to earth attitude. Watch it now on Netflix US

 

9/10



Hitchcock Review

 

Hitchcock Review

 

bloody-disgusting.com

 

I have a bit of an obsession with Psycho, so this film to me was massively exciting, and I was hoping to be given an insight into the making of the film. In this respect I was a bit disappointed, the film ends up being more of a schmaltzy rom com than a biopic. While Hollywood might be to blame for the somewhat more shallow film than I imagined, it was in my view a fairly solid picture, with only a few niggles.

 

The plot of the film revolves around the Hopkins played Hitchcock and his wife played by Helen Mirren, around the time of the filming of Psycho. It essentially follows all the typical tropes of the romance genre without much variation on the age old narrative, the film manages to convince us of their relationship, which is mostly down to the wonderful Helen Mirren, who once again plays a fantastic role. The same can't be said for Hopkins, while he had some great one liners, he appeared stiff and emotionless and I simply wasn't able to connect with him as much as I would have liked. The film has a lot of the scenes we expect from the genre, and doesn't surprise in any way, which is a shame considering the iconic subject matter.

 

The main plot aside, the technical aspects of the film were also pretty standard,the camera work for example was fine but nothing special, and it did its job, seemingly without much thought put into it. The other peformances in the film from Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and Toni Collette were all pretty solid, although understandably there was a significant lack of camera time compared to the main characters.

 

The good parts of the film, the parts where we got to see how the film was made and what the ideas were behind it, were interesting and provided a break from the sugary sweet relationship story arc. The film managed to keep my attention throughout, albeit with a few eye rolls near the end, and as I said the performances were solid and well directed. If you're looking for a 'feel good' film that doesn't stray from the formula then this film is for you. If however you're looking for a more intelligent and thought provoking film, stay well clear of this as its unlikely to satisfy your appetite. Overall, a fine film.

 

6/10

Lincoln Review

Lincoln Review

 

 

insidemovies.ew.com

 

Lincoln has got to be one of the most hyped films of the year, which mostly down to its award nominations/wins and the critic's buzz surrounding it. I went into this picture hoping to firstly be told more about the story of how slavery was banned, secondly to watch a great performance from Daniel Day Lewis and thirdly (as always) to be entertained. The film managed to carry out the first two hopes.

 

The film is set in America in 1865 just after the peak of the civil war, its basic narrative is about the president at the time, Abraham Lincoln, trying to get a law passed to ban black slavery. Now while this and Django unchained may have a similar theme, its safe to say that they're completely different kinds of films. This film is very politics heavy, which obviously I was expecting, but not to the degree that it was. Most of the dialogue consisted of technical jargon that went right over my head, making me feel uneducated in both American politics and in the plot of the film which became very confusing. I'm not going to lie, knowing it was directed by Spielberg I went into the cinema expecting a politics based version of War horse, but to his credit he's finally tried something new, and judging by the reviews and award nominations it has worked for a lot of people.

 

The performance that's winning all the awards, Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln, was as expected an excellent one. He plays the quiet and knowledgeable president, and the performance seemed to come very naturally to Lewis. Tommy Lee Jones' performance is underrated to a massive degree, managed to carry the whole he film along for me, making it slightly less tedious and bringing a sense of humour to the film (mostly through his epic wig). The camera work in the film was subtle and delicate, no Katherine Bigalow style shaking cameras here, and every shot felt like it was meant to be there, especially the long slow zooms of Lincoln as he makes his speeches. However the sepia stained lens used through the whole film made the film not only sound, but look dull as well, and mixed with the boring decor gave the film a very drab vibe.

 

There were some positives after watching the film though, I now know a bit more about American politics than I did going in (not much use in the UK but hey ho) and I have to admit I did enjoy the performances of both Tommy Lee Jones and Daniel Day Lewis. I can only really recommend this film to people who want to see what the buzz is about, or for people who are genuinely interested in the subject. Being someone who constantly watches heavy dialogue driven art films even I couldn't bare the snooze inducing political jargon filled scenes and if you're thinking about seeing this with your kids... just no. So while I will give Spielberg credit for moving on from family adventure into serious film making, I wouldn't say this is my cup of tea.

 

10/10 for the performances, 6/10 for the film.



Django Unchained Review

Django Unchained Review

 

www.hitfix.com

 

 

I've always been a fan of Tarantino, the way he manages to create that vintage exploitation cinema feel through music and direction never fails to excite me. This film is no exception, it manages to take the tricky and controversial subject of black slavery and make turn it into a 70's style blaxploitation film.

 

This is only one of the two recent films which have both tried to tackle the black slavery subject, the other being the Critically acclaimed Lincoln. While Lincoln may provide a historic understanding of the politics surrounding slavery, I feel that Django actually succeeds much better in creating an understanding of the time period. While it may do this through the use of comedy and ultra-violence, its underlying themes still provoke thoughts about slavery, and in the end provided me with a better understanding of the period than Lincoln (Despite Daniel Day Lewis' excellent performance). The basic narrative of the film is a standard rescue the princess affair, but with some subtle Tarantino twists that help give the director his auteur status. The use of gore in Tarantino films is well known, from the more gritty Pulp Fiction to the amusing Kill Bill, this film follows suit with some at times hilarious effects. While some critics argue that the effects can detract from the film and make it seem comedic, these critics clearly are not familiar with Tarantino's work, the mix of comedy and violence are what gives him his cult status, and should not be criticised.

 

The performances in the film are all brilliant, Jamie Foxx plays a subdued but potentially iconic performance as Django, and Leonardo Di Caprio's role as the crazy Calvin Candie is manically brilliant. The camera work uses beautiful scenic shots and ultra quick close ups, which give the film the same vintage feel that worked for Kill Bill and for Robert Rodriguez's Machete and Planet Terror. The soundtrack is again excellent and works really well with the film with a mix of hip hop in the form of Rick Ross, traditional deep south music and Django's own theme tune, which sounds similar to the music from Kill Bill.

 

All of the elements come together to make a fun film, which unlike Lincoln doesn't take itself too seriously. If you're looking for a somewhat controversial comedy to watch (that doesn't go as far as Movie 43) as well as some great action set pieces and fantastically written dialogue then look no further than Django Unchained.

9/10