Well here's a look at an indie that currently playing out there that hasn't received any coverage thus far from AICN, so I'm running this review so you folks can see whether or not you're interested. I love independent film, but during the course of the summer it's easy to lose track of the Indie world whilst seeing the mob of films. But here's our first look at the tastes of Sean Archer...
Hello friends,
This is my first review for Harry and the AICN so I feel compelled to introduce myself. I am a mid level suit at Universal. But, don't hate me because I know my studio(most studios really)makes crap. Most execs don't have any hands on involvement. We're the middle management of the motion picture industry.
Because Harry has lots of spies for studio films, and I'm not really interested in most of them anyway, I'm going to cover the Independent world of film, starting with my second favorite movie this year(Election is still tops), a little English/Arab film called 'My Son, the Fanatic'.
Walking in to view 'My Son, the Fanatic' I didn't have any idea what the plot of the film was, although, knowing the previous works of Hanif Kureishi I new it wouldn't be a comedy. Early in the film, it became evident that this wasn't just another son rebelling against his father movie, instead this is an extremely deep character study, told from the fathers point of view.
Om Puri plays the father, Parvez, a taxi driver who is estranged from his religious zealot son, and also finds himself falling in love with a prostitute, played magnificently by Rachel Griffiths(whose performance far outshines her work in 'Hillary and Jackie'). But Puri is the real standout in the film, as the Pakistani immigrant who struggles to find some meaning in life, he brings a sense of caring a joy to his role, which could have easily been turned into an overacted hammed up part. This is truly the performance of a lifetime, and it's a shame to know that it will go unseen by the masses.
The son, Farid, is played by Akbar Kurtha, who brings just the right amount of angst to his performance, and in turn shows us how easily a man goes from an average twenty-something, into the dark world of religious hate, and spinning his 'beliefs' off into a direction which permits his prejudices.
Kureishi's script is one of the best I've come across in a very long while, and in the hands of Udayan Prasad it is turned into a true work of art, something which makes us feel something unlike the standard studio brain candy. This film is being distributed by Miramax, whose continues their goal of bringing small foreign films to American audiences. You'd think that, sooner or later, other studios would catch on and see that there is a relative goldmine out there.
Overall, my only complaint is that this film won't get wider distribution. There are few better family studies committed to celluloid. This film probably won't come to your town, but if you live near a city with an arthouse, it is well worth the drive.
This weekend I'll be taking in Wim Wender's latest documentary 'The Buena Vista Social Club', and I'll be writing a review for it. I'm also in the midst of a few script reviews, the best of which are 'Goodbye Sunrise'(which is filming now) written by Michael Addis and Tony Urban and 'A Map of the World'(which, I believe is ready to show)by Jane Hamilton. If you have seen any interesting Indies of late, drop me a note.
This was Sean Archer
