Indie Roundup #5
I thought I would post another indie roundup this week since I've seen some interesting indie and art films lately that I think you should check out. Here's a list of 3 Indie films I can wholeheartedly recommend, along with a trailer for each.
Little Birds
I found this indie gem while scrolling through Netflix, having heard about it the year before but not being able to go see it I decided to give it a go. The film is far from perfect, but Its a brilliantly acted film that throws some interesting ideas around, but perhaps without a clear focus. The plot involves two small town girls who lead a rather mundane life, one of the girls, Lily (Juno Temple), meets a group of boys who encourage her to go to LA with them. Lily decides to go and brings her reluctant friend Alison, they then carry out a predictable series of anarchistic activities in the city, eventually leading to a rather more serious conclusion. This kind of troubled youth plot has been done countless times in films like the brilliant Fishtank or the disturbing Kids, some of which arguably do it better than Little Birds. Aside from the plot however, there are some amazing performances, most noticeably Juno Temple, who skyrockets well above anyone else in the film. The role of angsty teen gives her plenty of room for artistic expression, she puts her own stamp on the tired cliche and brings life to the film, proving her to be a sure-fire star in the making. As well as the performances, the film is technically beautiful, utilising the melancholic trailer park wasteland to its full advantage, giving some gorgeous long distance shots. There are plenty of ideas floating around in this film, the decay of the American dream, the troubles youth face in today's society as well as commenting on the rural working class American life. While the ideas might be there, they aren't used to their full advantage, making the film seem rather half baked. In any case its a film that you should check out if you're into films like Fish Tank or Korine's works.
Bully
Bully is an uplifting yet devastating documentary that focuses on the problems that American schools face with bullying. The film attempts to display the full effects that bullying can have by following a number of different students who are or have been bullied. Small portable cameras are utilised to capture footage on school buses and in the school itself, proving an insight into what really goes on, and how the institutions deal with it. Some of the stories told by the students are heartbreaking, with one particular boy being unrelentingly attacked and ridiculed, and the footage bringing me to tears. The film succeeds in both telling the stories of the victims as well as highlighting the problems that the American school system faces in terms of punishment and prevention. Bully is a brilliant documentary that ticks all of the boxes, it highlights the issue of bullying with first hand accounts and footage, it highlights the problems the institutions face, as well as suggest solutions to these problems. I recommend this film to anyone who is remotely interested in documentaries, as well as anyone who wishes to see first hand how cruel and life destroying bullying can be.
The Woman
This feminist piece examines the relationship between men and women, as well as nature vs society. The narrative revolves around a family man who finds a woman in a forest, the woman appears to be living in the forest and isn't part of modern society. The woman is then kidnapped and kept in the tornado shelter of the family, where she is subjected to abuse and torture in an attempt to 'civilise' her. It's a horror film, but rarely follows any of the conventions of the genre, instead providing an interesting political commentary revolving around patriarchy and male power. It provided a welcome breath of fresh air after the recent influx of unimaginative horror films, and felt more like an art house film than a mainstream horror flick. The visuals are wonderful, shot magnificently and capturing the mood of the film perfectly, while the sound and gore effects were also top notch, particularly at the end of the film, which left me feeling quite ill. I don't want to spoil any more of the film as its best watched without knowing much about the plot, horror fans should definitely give this a go purely based on its refusal to abide by conventions, as well as fans of feminist films, who will have plenty of commentary to chew on.
Thats it for this weeks indie roundup, keep checking the blog or @karlrichings on twitter for new updates!
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