indie

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As I Lay Dying (Cannes Review) Movie cover

As I Lay Dying (Cannes Review)

At the very least, you must credit James Franco for even attempting to film what some consider to be a near impossible story to tell. William Faulkner’s classic 1930 novel, As I Lay Dying, features 15 different characters, each telling a part of the story in their point of view. Director James Franco does a Read More
8.8
Stories We Tell Movie cover

Stories We Tell

“Every family has a story.” Canadian actor and director Sarah Polley (Away From Her, Take This Waltz) lost her mom, Diane, to cancer in 1990. In Stories We Tell, her quietly spectacular documentary, she sits with her family and friends and asks them to “tell the whole story [about Diane], from start to finish.” The Read More
7.3
Touchy Feely Movie cover

Touchy Feely

Lynn Shelton’s Touchy Feely has, so far, gathered mixed reviews and unfortunately I got to see why. I went into the film very open minded and came away feeling confused and largely disappointed. Nevertheless, there can be a lot said for the powerful depiction of energy and balance within life and relationships, something that Shelton Read More
8.3
The Place Beyond the Pines Movie cover

The Place Beyond the Pines

It would be easy to mistake The Place Beyond the Pines as a sequel to Drive as this film also stars Ryan Gosling as a stuntman turned getaway driver who is a soft-spoken badass that beats people with hardware tools. But I am here to tell you that The Place Beyond the Pines is not Read More
6
Quite a Conundrum Movie cover

Quite a Conundrum

Quite a Conundrum’s official synopsis lets the viewer know what kind of film they are in for and perfectly summarizes the film; “Sex, drums, tequila, social networking, a pirate, morning after pills, Jesus and a gun. It’s one hot mess.” Yes, Thomas L. Philips’ Quite a Conundrum is certainly one hot mess. Although this indie Read More
9
Simon Killer Movie cover

Simon Killer

In Simon Killer, director Antonio Campos plays provocateur, giving us a protagonist who becomes so unlikable, so repulsive, you’re sure to leave the theater full of hatred and contempt for him. Campos’ film is thoroughly distressing, an exercise in discomfort that will be difficult to embrace for most, much like his first film, Afterschool. However, Read More
7.4
Modest Reception Movie cover

Modest Reception

Modest Reception is a foreign indie film by Mani Haghighi that is both a dark comedy and a psychological exploration of the human soul. The film travels on the wild joy ride of two people that hand out millions of bank notes to the people of a lower-class Iranian village. Because many of the questions Read More
8.2
Timecrimes Movie cover

Timecrimes

It does not take long to notice that even the smallest of details in Nacho Vigalondo’s Timecrimes are not without purpose. As with most time-travel films, if you were to break everything down you are bound to find plot holes here and there. But over-thinking the logic ruins the entertainment the film provides and what Read More
9
Paradise: Love Movie cover

Paradise: Love

Ulrich Seidl packs a punch full of irony in Paradise: Love where neither paradise nor love is anywhere to be found. On display instead is a voyeuristic view of a shy woman in search of love who goes wild and ends up on both sides of exploitation. There is some repetition in the film as Read More