Hey folks, I hope you are enjoying these updates on the Indie scene from Sean Archer as much as I have. Here he has 3 more to put in the ol brain sack to ponder pondering. Here he is..
Welcome fellow Indie Fans. I caught three previews last Sunday, one great, one good, one just awful. They’re scheduled for limited release this weekend, so here you can see what I thought.
The morning show brought “Floating”, an off-beat little drama staring Norman Reedus(who plays Van)and Will Lyman(who plays his father. Another character/family study, “Floating” details the experiences of a family after the father and head of the household loses his legs in a car crash. The accident which almost ended his life also destroys his spirit, sending him down the dark road of alcohol abuse and depression. Van, just sixteen, is left to deal with his father’s anguish when his mother leaves, and they soon declare bankruptcy.
Cut to four years later when Van when Van is still caring for his father while he himself ambles from job to job, overwhelmed with guilt and despair. Abandoned again, this time by his girlfriend, Julie(played by Sybil Temchin)Van turns to a life of crime to ease the family’s financial despair. Van soon hooks up with three friends(including Chad Lowe)and after another tragedy, ends up in jail, and it’s the father’s turn to rescue his son.
“Floating” is a tough film to watch, and reminded me of “The Sweet Hereafter” although it didn’t have the power of the former. Reedus gets top billing, but I felt the standout performance was given by Lyman, a role that should get him work in higher profile films in the near future. The film, overall, left me a little hollow, but I’d still recommend it, with 3.5 of 5 stars.
The next film of the day was Alice et Martin, a French films staring the always adorable Juliette Binoche. Directed by Andre Techine(who made the more enjoyable Wild Reeds), a director who has always fascinated me. I was hoping for more of Binoche, but ended up seeing a film about a young male model played by newcomer Alexis Loret. Loret has a sort of James Dean-ish intensity without the talent. The movie goes from scene to scene of him entering the world of modeling, meeting women, and eventually falling in love with Alice who gets pregnant(a fact which inexplicably drives him mad). Overwrought melodrama at it’s best, hackneyed drivel at it’s worst, skip this movie. 2 of 5(with one star coming solely from the presence of Binoche).
Finally, I wrapped up the weekend with the best film yet, “Head On”, a Greek film starring Alex Dimitriades as Ari, a young Greek man obsessed with sex and drugs. This is the film Kubrick should have made instead of that worthless tripe Eyes Wide Shut ended up being. It’s plot is so similar, as it details one day in the life of 19 year old Ari confronting his sexuality and Greek heritage. Adapted from the novel, Loaded, by Christos Tsiolkas, the characters are vivid, realistic, dynamic, and fun to watch. I can’t remember a film that dealt with homosexuality, drug use, and family secrets so deftly. Dimitriades is a star in the making. So handsome and so full of talent, he must be Greece’s answer to Brad Pitt as a star that can make the ladies(and a few men) swoon and the critics applaud. Everything from the cinematography to the dialogue is crisp and fresh. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear “Head On” on the tips of everyone tongues come Oscar time. 5 or 5.
Overall, a fun day at the movies. Also, I’m trying to find more info on a movie called “Body Piercer” and stars Macauley Culkin. If you know anything about it, let me know. In the meantime, if you have seen any interesting Indies, drop me a note at the new address.
