Outstanding Indies
Often a writer, director and producer are one in the same. The person can do but so much with a small budget, or so it may seem. Often, the brainchild is a cinematic masterpiece. I've listed some of my favorites, from horror to drama to quirky and the interesting stuff in between.
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- DirectorAlison MurrayStarsElliot PageNatasha WightmanAugust DiehlYoung runaway Sherry meets the radical street collective Spark. Together they experience the group's giddy thrills as well as its punishing manipulations, as Sherry's journey to paradise begins to sour.Raw reactions of juveniles facing cause and effect situations. Polished production and acting.
- DirectorSarah KnightStarsCarrie PrestonBernard WhiteBrian HutchisonThis comedy takes its title from the Latin proverb, which literally translated: "in wine, the truth," suggests that people reveal their truest feelings under the influence of alcohol.Definitely NOT a conventional comedy. Seems 'normal' at first. Stick with it. The film's outstanding.
- DirectorDavid SladeStarsPatrick WilsonElliot PageSandra OhHayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.A polished masterpiece. Still timely. Never a dull moment.
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie BellJosh LucasDermot MulroneyPig farmer and widower John Munn is raising his two sons in an isolated farmhouse, until his troubled brother arrives and changes their lives forever.The acting is superb and the story is compelling.
- DirectorHideo NakataStarsJacob AndersonMatthew AshfordeDorothy AtkinsonFive teenagers with different personalities are introduced to one another in a chatroom called "Chelsea Teens!" But one shows its darker side, threatening the others' lives.The most ingenious way I've ever seen a chatroom portrayed. I didn't want to get out of the story's pool.
- DirectorHans WeingartnerStarsDaniel BrühlJulia JentschStipe ErcegThree activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home.Lets you say "What?!" and "Oh" without insulting your intelligence. Unique film and subject.
- DirectorJosh ReedStarsZoë GameauKrew BoylanLindsay FarrisA group of friends travel into the Australian wilds to view ancient cave paintings but soon find a horrible sickness gripping one of their own, which leaves them with nothing in their mind but a primal blood lust.Indie horror doesn't usually work out so well, but this one is spot on!
- DirectorCynthia ScottStarsAlice DiaboConstance GarneauBeth WebberA busload of women become stranded in an isolated part of the Canadian countryside. As they await rescue, they reflect on their lives.Amazing! The execution of the plot can't be explained unless a viewer takes the ride.
- DirectorGregg ArakiStarsBrady CorbetJoseph Gordon-LevittElisabeth ShueTwo pre-adolescent boys both experienced a strange event and later it affects their lives in different ways. One becomes a reckless, sexually adventurous prostitute, while the other retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction.The story and difficult subject matter are skillfully handled. There is more truth than fiction.
- DirectorLiev SchreiberStarsElijah WoodEugene HutzBoris LyoskinA young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.Collect your details and simmer. Absolutely amazing film.
- DirectorJulia LoktevStarsLuisa WilliamsJosh Philip WeinsteinGareth SaxeA 19-year-old girl prepares to become a suicide bomber in Times Square. She speaks with a nondescript American accent, and it's impossible to pinpoint her ethnicity. We never learn why she made her decision -- she has made it already. We don't know whom she represents, what she believes in - we only know she believes it absolutely.I own this DVD - the director's commentary is enlightening and improves upon an already exceptional and unusual subject.
- DirectorMatt MahurinStarsWilliam BaldwinTom BowerGrant ChangOver the course of a single day, four different men visit a massage parlor looking for some kind of emotional or physical connection. Simultaneously, the film explores the complex emotional experiences of the women who work there.Beautiful work of art. So many facets of the subject are examined. It's like being a crying fly on the wall.
- DirectorDavid BeattyStarsEmily BrideauAlbert Friedman FoxGlen HardyA New Year's party spirals out of control when threatening secrets are revealed and changes the relationships of 12 intertwining friends.Group dynamics are among my favorite movie subjects. If you like them, this is an excellent example of character analysis, with its ups and downs. Was I at the party?
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsElias McConnellAlex FrostEric DeulenSeveral ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.Raw. Real. The film is a sphere. Look everywhere, then look away.
- DirectorMurali K. ThalluriStarsTeresa PalmerFrank SweetSam HarrisAt 2:37, someone commits suicide in the school lavatory. The day is told up to that point from the viewpoint of six different students.Questions begin at the opening scene and build with the progression of the movie. Well done and important, the execution of the storyline was realistic.
- DirectorGreg HarrisonStarsCourteney CoxJames Le GrosMichael EalySophie Jacobs is going through the most difficult time of her life. Now, she just has to find out if it's real.I didn't know what to expect from Courtney Cox, but she was awesome. The mood and execution of the storyline is amazing. I'm a photographer - this movie is a muse.
- DirectorJames MannBrandon NicholasStarsJohn BainErica CurtisNathan HallidayA boy is abandoned in the heart of the desert by his step father. He takes refuge with two orphans who live in an abandoned mining town. The three kids struggle to survive through series of increasingly desperate and serious crimes. They meet their downfall after a murder weighs too heavy upon their conscience.I love the complexities in this small group dynamic. The characters begin as foundations and detail by detail each person is built. Against a background of harsh desert, both literally and figuratively, the story unfolds.
- DirectorJames Ward ByrkitStarsEmily BaldoniMaury SterlingNicholas BrendonStrange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.Sci-Fi's hard to do without special effects. On an indie budget, special effects take a back seat. This one, however, is mind-bending and holds your attention. I love the progression.
- DirectorJoshua MarstonStarsCatalina Sandino MorenoGuilied LopezOrlando TobónA pregnant Colombian teenager becomes a drug mule to make some desperately-needed money for her family.A magnifying glass where there is never one found.
- DirectorAndrew DouglasStarsJamie BlackleyAnthony WarrenJack LowdenA teenage boy's descent into the dangerous world of the Internet and the harrowing consequences of his actions. A true story.Great story that doesn't tire until it finds its conclusion.
- DirectorTom TykwerStarsFranka PotenteMoritz BleibtreuHerbert KnaupAfter a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.A uniquely crafted masterpiece. Action, emotion, irony and so much more. Franka Potente is one of my favorite actresses. She runs through the screen. Very well done.
- DirectorDom RotheroeStarsBradley ColeBrittany AshworthAngela ForrestThe timely story of a normal family disintegrating under financial pressure, eventually driven to the unimaginable. We witness the terrifying events unfold through daughter Judith's video camera, which subsequently becomes Exhibit A.Raw and revealing. Awkward moments truly seem awkward, along with those that are tense and frightening. Great acting.
- DirectorBen C. LucasStarsOliver AcklandAdelaide ClemensAlex RussellWhen a high school party goes dangerously off the rails, one teenager finds that revenge is just a computer click away.Engaging Aussie film. Well-acted, directed and filmed. I love the storyline. Fresh approach. You don't have to wield a sword anymore.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsSaoirse RonanTom HollandGeorge MacKayAn American girl, sent to the English countryside to stay with relatives, finds love and purpose while fighting for her survival as war envelops the world around her.Mood-appropriate, this film held onto my face with a young hand: "Listen to me."
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsBjörkCatherine DeneuveDavid MorseAn Eastern European US immigrant with a love for musicals has to cope with the gradual loss of her vision.Slipping in and out of a desperate mind can be exhausting and rewarding.
- DirectorBahman GhobadiStarsSoran EbrahimAvaz LatifSaddam Hossein FeysalNear the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of an American invasion, refugee children like 13-year-old Kak (Ebrahim), gauge and await their fate.Children realistically fill their roles. Too realistically.
- DirectorAvi NesherStarsFanny ArdantAnia BuksteinMichal ShtamlerTwo brilliant young women discover their own voices in a repressive orthodox culture where females are forbidden to sing, let alone speak out.Brilliant character development. Excellent acting and directing. While following the storyline, so many things take place, but nothing's crowded. Beautiful presentation.
- DirectorTom TykwerStarsFranka PotenteBenno FürmannJoachim KrólTwo enamoured strangers look for a warm place in a cold world.Almost surreal emotional connection between unconventional people. One of my favorite movies.
- DirectorBruce McDonaldStarsStephen McHattieLisa HouleGeorgina ReillyA radio host interprets the possible outbreak of a deadly virus which infects the small Ontario town he is stationed in.Another horror film that didn't need special effects to get the point across. A mind-bender, Pontypool is art.
- DirectorFelicitas KornStarsHenriette HeinzeGolo EulerSabine BachA photography student struggles to balance school, work, and helping her mom. She meets a mysterious younger man at a club. They start a passionate affair, but their new relationship faces tough challenges that test their commitment.Nadja is a character who does her best to avoid reality. Her emptiness is painfully and artfully presented.
- DirectorLucía PuenzoStarsRicardo DarínValeria BertuccelliGermán PalaciosThe story of an intersex fifteen-year-old. She lives with her parents, who have to cope with the challenges of her medical condition.A delicate subject handled gently, but exposing raw reality as well. Excellent film. Important. Beautiful.
- DirectorPeter CareStarsKieran CulkinJena MaloneEmile HirschA group of Catholic school friends, after being caught drawing an obscene comic book, plan a heist that will outdo their previous prank and make them local legends.Very polished and organized, variety and truth fill this film. From the viewpoint of youthful eyes, events unfold with unanswered questions, as they should be.
- DirectorJulian GilbeyStarsAlec NewmanEd SpeleersMelissa GeorgeA group of mountaineers in the Scottish Highlands discover a kidnapped girl and are pursued by her captors.Humanity and inhumanity collide. Excellent portrayal. Exciting film.
- DirectorXavier KollerStarsNecmettin ÇobanogluNur SürerEmin SivasThe story of a poor Turkish family who try to emigrate illegally to Switzerland.A raw effort of desperation. Easy for a viewer to sympathize. Unforgettable.
- DirectorChristopher GlatisStarsFairuza BalkRick RavanelloRyan Merriman2AM, closing time: A cocky bar manager with a shady past and a young handsome bartender discover a beautiful woman bloodied and unconscious in the bathroom of a late night lounge. When she awakens, Tony, Matt and the mysterious Rose are plunged into a stirring evening of dangerous role playing in an ever-escalating game of cat and mouse that forces them to face the dark shadows of themselves. As we begin to piece together the elaborate puzzle, nothing is what it seems. However, one thing is for certain: this Rose is full of thorns.I love Fairuza Balk and she doesn't disappoint in this film. Forget the reviews. Make your own decision about this one. I'm glad I did.
- DirectorTodd BergerStarsRachel BostonLaura AdkinKevin M. BrennanFour couples meet for Sunday brunch, then discover they are stuck in a house together as the world may be about to end.So much is mentioned in the synopsis it ruins some of the surprise. But the group dynamic is tense, fun, awkward and, in many ways, very real.
- DirectorSam GarbarskiStarsMarianne FaithfullPredrag 'Miki' ManojlovicKevin BishopMiddle-aged Maggie must find a way to get enough money for her grandson's lifesaving medical treatment and lift the dwindling hopes of her only son Tom and his wife Sarah. Desperation leads the respectable widow to work in a sex club.Marianne Faithful is a favorite of mine. She does an amazing job in this film. Very unconventional. The entire movie is smooth as silk.
- DirectorNatalia LeiteStarsFrancesca EastwoodClifton Collins Jr.Leah McKendrickAn art student taps into a rich source of creative inspiration after the accidental slaughter of her rapist. An unlikely vigilante emerges, set out to avenge college girls whose attackers walked free.Master of Fine Art - definitely
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsBarry G. BernsonHerb CaillouetBill CampSteven, a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister.Will take you out of reality to create clarity when none can be had
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsChristos StergioglouMichele ValleyAngeliki PapouliaA controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offsprings in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the sprawling family compound.Nothing wrong with adding the right amount of strange
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsMaxim GaudetteSébastien HuberdeauKarine VanasseA dramatization of the 1989 Montréal Massacre, during which several female engineering students were murdered by an unstable misogynist.I can only describe the storyline as spherical - the perfect way to tie every aspect of this tragedy together.
- DirectorCoralie FargeatStarsMatilda Anna Ingrid LutzKevin JanssensVincent ColombeNever take your mistress on an annual guys' getaway, especially one devoted to hunting - a violent lesson for three wealthy married men.Unexpected quality all around - acting, character development, storyline, direction. If you think that a trailer ruined the movie for you, it didn't.