posted
Over the past two years I've grown increasingly addicted to movies of any kind (except for the horror stuff, not really into that). Even the really bad movies you can get a Wal*Mart for a dollar- Laserhawk (starring Mark Hamil) and Shockwave.
But mostly just really good movies. I've seen only a few independent films but luckily all the ones I have seen are quite good. My roommate's dad sent him The Nines which we decided on a whim to watch- really good and interesting. I guess stylistically I like what I see because they are a bit more experimental- Eternal Sunshine is pretty unique in its cinematography. The Science of Sleep definitely is, and Charlie Kauffman's other works are definitely quite unique.
So my question is- what are some good indie films (or foreign, I'd like to see some more European films)? I kind of do like a trippy style of editing and shooting but anything good will do fine.
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And this one has great acting and wonderful characterization, but that's really what it's about, the characters, as Songcatcher is really about the setting; the plot is weaker than I'd like, especially at the end:
posted
A Dog's Breakfast is hilarious. Great movie.
"Once" I think counts as an indie flick, and it's Irish. Great music, good story.
I can't think of any others off the top of my head, but I'm sure I can come up with some. I see a lot of indie movies and foreign movies at the local arts theaters in town (that through fate or luck have stayed open despite numerous threats of razing to build more stupid lowrise lofts).
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posted
Anything with Jamie Bell or Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Both have taken daring roles, and have done unconventional films.
Two good ones by Jamie Bell are 'Undertow'(2004) and 'Chumscrubber'(2005).
Also, though I haven't seen it, I am very very eager to see Jamie in 'Hallam Foe'(2007) or it may be alternately titled 'Mr. Foe'.
Like all independent films with restricted time and limited budgets, these movies have their flaws, but the also have their high points.
In 'Chumscrubber' there is a scene between Jamie and Glen Close, near the end, that is just heart wrenching. The scene is superbly acted by both of them.
For Joseph Gordon Levitt, please do go way back to his stunning performance in 'Sweet Jane' (1998). The first time I saw this, I said to myself that no one can ever say that JGL in not a great dramatic actor. Like many of his films after leaving 'Third Rock', this film is extremely dark but still brilliant.
Other dark movies by JGL, 'Manic' which takes place in a institution for mentally ill teens.
'Mysterious Skin' is a dark film that is essentially about child abuse and it results on both willing and unwilling partners. While this is dark subject matter, it is also based on a true story. In the DVD Extras JKR and Brady read from the book.
The two leads played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet are masterfully done, and the kids who play these two characters at a younger age are also brilliant. Especially the boy who plays the younger Neil (JGL)[Chase Ellison]. I think he has tremendous future potential as an actor.
'Brick' is sort of a gritty detective drama set in high school. Again, being made on a microscopic budget, it has its flaws, but it is a brilliantly acted story with wonderfully unseen twists and an equally brilliant and equally unimagined resolution. Highly recommended to anyone who likes independent film.
Now the best for last, 'The Lookout', an extremely well made and well acted movie that should have been up for an Oscar. Joseph is in his absolute best form in this movie, and I was stunned that this movie was so poorly promoted by the studio.
The story of 'The Lookout'(2007) is that JGL plays a young man with a very promising life who was brain damaged in a car accident. Being frustrated with his disability, he fall in with and is manipulated into helping some bad guys rob a bank. Sounds dull and typical, but this movie is anything but. It has a great plot and great actors, and is very well done.
Again, a stunning performance by JGL with excellent supporting cast from Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, and Isla Fisher.
You can find cast lists and summaries for all these movies and more here at the Internet Movie Database -
Being John Malkovich was my least favorite Kauffman script that I've seen. I think a couple of the images in their were just too disturbing- I'm thinking of people in cages here. But I've only seen it once- I do own it though.
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posted
Rocket Science is a great movie. As is the Station Agent. Both very small, very contained films. Does Lars and the Real Girl count? Because I think that movie has wrenched my heart more than most of what I've seen in the last several years.
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quote:Originally posted by TL: All The Real Girls, Being John Malkovich, Brick, Blue Velvet, Little Children, Rushmore.
A short list of great films.
It would appear that we have similar tastes. I love the two movies on that list that I've seen (Malkovich and Rushmore). Now I must check out the others.
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I'd just like to thank you guys for the suggestions you gave me. I haven't had a chance to watch more than one of the movies on this thread. But I did make sure to watch Rushmore.
It's definitely now one of my favorite films. I had already seen The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic, and the Darjeeling Limited and this is I think the best that I've seen from Wes Anderson. I felt like I really knew and understood Max quite well (more because I saw myself in him) and it's just so funny and believably over-the-top.
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Thanks for all the other recommendations I'll have to check these out.
"My Life As A Dog" is also good, although I'm not sure if it counts as "indie", just "really old and shot in Holland".
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quote:It would appear that we have similar tastes. I love the two movies on that list that I've seen (Malkovich and Rushmore). Now I must check out the others.
Awesome. Be careful about Blue Velvet, though. It's not to everyone's tastes. As a writer, you might appreciate dissecting it from a story-telling point of view, cause Lynch does some wild and interesting stuff in it -- but it's pretty rough.
I give you this warning because, even though it's one of my two favorite films (the other being The Graduate), I used to know you a little bit elsewhere, and I recall (perhaps incorrectly) that you can be bothered by over-the-top kind of stuff.
Having said that, I'd be very interested to hear your take on these films, once you've seen them, so please remember to come back and de-lurk!
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posted
I'm not sure I'd count Wes Anderson as indie films, he's a pretty big name.
Brick was fantastic, one of my favorite films and one of the main reasons I decided to rent Mysterious Skin. This of course was a deeply disturbing film. One I wish I hadn't seen.
Catch "Funny Games", the old one or the new one with Tim Roth.
And "CashBack", for a little fun.
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posted
Here is a very odd choice but none the less I highly recommend this movie -
Wes Craven's 'Cursed'
starring-
Jesse Eisenberg (Squid and the Whale - another fine movie)
Christina Ricci (Speed Racer)
Including-
Milo Ventimiglia (Heros (TV)) Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek (TV))
Firsts of all this is a werewolf movie, but it is a werewolf movie that has a great sense of humor and over the top fun performances by all.
It is an odd mix of wonderfully scary and silly. But again, I'm a big Jessie Eisenberg fan.
Another good indie with Jessie Eisenberg and Jeff Daniels, with additional great performances by Owen Kline as the younger brother and Laura Linney as the mother, is 'The Squid and the Whale'.
Emile Hirsch has also made several great indie films including
The Mudge Boy (gay themed) The Emperor's Club The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys Lords of Dogtown Imaginary Heroes
I stumbled across 'Imaginary Heroes' and watched it simply because Emile Hirsch was in it, but I was pleasantly surprised by this dark Suburban movie.
If you haven't already seem them, though not quite indie films, both -
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The Diving Bell and The Butterfly is an AMAZING french film. really quick, choppy, and downright trippy editing sequences. And I LOVE The dangerous lives of altar boys. I don't know what "Hard Candy" and "teeth" are constituted as, but they sorta have that feel.
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quote:Originally posted by TL: Awesome. Be careful about Blue Velvet, though. It's not to everyone's tastes. As a writer, you might appreciate dissecting it from a story-telling point of view, cause Lynch does some wild and interesting stuff in it -- but it's pretty rough.
Isn't that generally true of Lynch, though? I've only seen a few of his movies, but I've mostly liked them. (Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, and Dune).
quote:I give you this warning because, even though it's one of my two favorite films (the other being The Graduate), I used to know you a little bit elsewhere, and I recall (perhaps incorrectly) that you can be bothered by over-the-top kind of stuff.
*amused* Naw, I'm pretty resilient. Thanks for the warning, though. I should probably watch it without my husband, at least first, since he's a bit more sensitive in some ways.
quote:Having said that, I'd be very interested to hear your take on these films, once you've seen them, so please remember to come back and de-lurk!
I'm glad this thread was bumped, because I'd forgotten about it. Now the movies are in my queue. I may order them next week, since husband will be out of town all week. I'll be sure to post my thoughts.
posted
I'm curious how many people have seen the French Classic 'The Red Balloon'. I saw it a long time ago, but was pleasantly surprised to see it come up as a cultural 'inside' reference in more modern films and TV.
Specifically, there is an episode of 'Malcolm in the Middle' where Dewy is left with a babysitter who dies. Later a red balloon comes drifting by with the distinctive 'Red Balloon' theme playing. I wonder how many people watching 'Malcolm' got that reference?
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quote:Isn't that generally true of Lynch, though? I've only seen a few of his movies, but I've mostly liked them. (Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, and Dune)
Yes.... Okay.
quote:*amused* Naw, I'm pretty resilient.
Okay! I shall remember that. (I think I may have lumped you in, mentally, with the group. It was not a place for rough stuff, that place.)
quote:Originally posted by TL: Having said that, I'd be very interested to hear your take on these films, once you've seen them, so please remember to come back and de-lurk!
At this point, I've watched both Brick and Blue Velvet. These are my first impressions, having only watched them once each.
I really liked Brick. There were just enough superficial similarities between that high school and the one that I went to that it never quite lost me, even though at times I didn't know what was going on. I definitely want to watch it again to catch what I missed the first time around.
Blue Velvet was certainly interesting. It was quite a bit more straightforward plot-wise than I was expecting. I know that I would need to watch it at least once more to really catch the symbolism. One thing that really stuck out at me, though, was the robin at the end. At first I just thought that it looked so cheap and non-realistic because, well, it was 1986. However, I could see that being deliberate, to show that the supposed good life that the characters are now living isn't real, and that the scary, filthy underworld could intrude again at any time. I don't recall any of the other effects being so glaringly low-budget, which seems to strengthen the idea that it was meant to be that way.
Anyhow, thanks for the recommendations, TL. I'll post my thoughts on the others after I've seen them.
Yay! Lesbian movies. There's some Indie Movies I DESPISE, But ones I love are Eternal Sunshine, I don't know if it's indie, it's cool. There's Amelie, that's french, Ma Vie en Rose is too, I'll try to think of more.
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La Vie en Rose, if it's the movie about Edith Piaf. And warning: it's long and can be confusing, although certainly interesting. I don't think that La Vie en Rose and Amelie are particularly indie, they are simply French.
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posted
Doing a search against my listed imdb movies for "independent" I get several fairly well known movies that I'm sure were made by an independent studio, but don't seem to fit the indie" label.
Of the list, the ones I liked the best that seem to match the sort of qualities of an "indie" film:
La Vie en Rose, if it's the movie about Edith Piaf. And warning: it's long and can be confusing, although certainly interesting. I don't think that La Vie en Rose and Amelie are particularly indie, they are simply French.
I haven't seen the Edith Piaf movie yet. I'm talking about the movie about a sweet gender confused boy. I do like that movie.\ I'm beginning to find some indie movies annoying and depressing, but Our Song was a good movie. Squid and the Whale could be considered annoying and depressing, but one has to LOVE Laura Linney's acting skills.
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