Sunday, May 29, 2005

Non Hollywood Weekend

Used the bank holiday to catch up on some films that I had missed at the cinema and all of them are American made but not Hollywood fayre.


The Woodsman
Kevin Bacon shows how great his acting has become in this movie which given its subject matter is unlikely to get the recognition it deserves. A brave move for all those involved in it.

Kevin plays a convicted paedophile, released after an 8-year sentence, and trying his best to get back to normal life; not easy when he's located opposite a school. The film is disturbing but not graphic, it's all the ideas of what might happen that makes you feel the way you do. A key scene with a young girl that the guy befriends is particularly depressing.

One to watch if you're up for something off the normal Hollywood path of movie making.



Sideways

An independant movie about 2 guys spending a week in the wine growing area of California; one guy is still hanging onto a past relationship, the other is about to get married and wants to have a final fling before he ties the knot. Whilst they're out enjoying the wine they meet a couple of women and attempt to befriend them. I think the film was originally a play as the film surrounds the 4 characters, exactly like "Closer" and has great dialogue between them, which you don't usually get with Hollywood fodder.

Another good movie which anyone can watch.


Garden State
The final film was perhaps the best of the 3 even though the story isn't all there. Written and directed by that kid from Scrubs, whose name escapes me, the film tells the story of a guy who returns home to New Jersey from a celebrity life in L.A. for the funeral of his mother. Whilst there he comes across a girl, played superbly by Natalie Portman, and they hit it off.

Featuring some slightly surreal scenes and odd characters, the film is just a great written piece of cinema and unlike Star Wars shows what Natalie Portman is capable of if given the proper material

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