Independent and Foreign Films: Wading Through Pretension

Review: The Red Riding Trilogy

nedprickett — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:29:49 +0000

The “Red Riding Trilogy” is a five-hour noir opus. Adapted from a series of novels by author David Peace, the trilogy explores the dark corners of Yorkshire, a once sleepy British province, torn asunder by corruption and crime.

The three films- which take place in 1974, 1980 and 1983- follow three different protagonists. A young journalist (Andrew Garfield), a noble cop (Paddy Considine) and a crusading lawyer (Mark Addy), all of whom are swallowed up by the hopelessness and greed that has consumed Yorkshire. Sean Bean casts a long shadow over all three films as John Dawson, the real estate developer who funds the seedy activities that tear apart Yorkshire.

Opening with a young girl’s kidnapping, and moving through a series of grizzly serial killings the “Red Riding Trilogy” depicts a series of heinous crimes covered up, forgiven, and sometimes perpetrated by the institutions meant to protect the people that are being hurt. At several points in the films, the corrupt and powerful men of Yorkshire raise their glasses in a toast and proclaim, “To the North, where we do what we want.” That mantra covers all manners of sins.

At one point one of the characters is asked if he would call the police if someone kicked in his door and threatened to kill his wife. “You mean if it wasn’t them that already kicked in my door?” the man responds deadpan.

The film’s three directors- Julian Jarrold, James Marsh and Anand Tucker- bring their own distinct visual styles and feel to the separate films without detracting from the whole. Tony Grisoni’s screenplays deserve a lot of the credit. The screenplays have a real momentum and his spare style keeps the proceedings from becoming too overwrought and over the top. The material is so strong there is no need to ramp things up and Grisoni understands that.

While all three films work separately, put together they take on a real power and resonance. Every loss and new betrayal builds until the despair and hopelessness becomes suffocating. Grisoni’s work builds a world as rich as James Ellroy’s Los Angeles in his “L.A. Quartet” and Dennis Lehane’s Dorchester from his Kenzie and Gennarro books.

Despite its long run time, the trilogy feels a little rushed. The producers cut the 2^nd novel, “Red Riding 1977” due to budget constraints and it sometimes shows. Some details seem to be missing and some character’s motivations remain a bit too shadowy. But overall the “Red Riding Trilogy” is an impressive achievement. The trilogy brings Yorkshire to life in all its grimy glory.

Five hours is a long time to spend in a movie theater. Sure, your Butt gets a little numb and your eyes get a little bleary I know. But trust me- “The Red Riding Trilogy” is worth it.

NOTE: The trilogy is actually available through IFC On Demand if you cannot find it at a theater near you

“The Box:” Richard Kelly Goes Mainstream… Kind Of

nedprickett — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:05:42 +0000

Richard Kelly has had a pretty crazy career already. While his first feature “Donnie Darko” underperformed at the box office, it has found a massive cult following on DVD. His follow-up, “The Southland Tales” was a disaster. A confusing and nearly unwatchable mess that was pretty much reviled by everyone. Having loved “Donnie Darko” I have been eagerly waiting ‘The Box,” Kelly’s first attempt at playing in the major studio’s sandbox. Does the studio system that is traditionally only interested in their financial bottom line stifle his vision?

In a word, no.

“The Box” is by far Kelly’s strongest film narratively. It feels more focused than his first two films and Kelly is working with a confidence that even seemed lacking from the well-received “Donnie Darko.” Remember, Kelly released a director’s cut of Darko that spelled out the film’s plot, partially trying to appease the critics that said the film made no real sense.

What is even more impressive though, is that “The Box” feels like a completely unwatered down Richard Kelly movie. It is perhaps the strangest studio movie I have ever seen, with an ending that is bleak to say the least. As a result, the film has gotten mostly bad reviews and the box office was underwhelming this weekend. It will be interesting to see if Kelly gets this much control over a film again- at least one produced by a major studio like Warner Brothers.

While the film is far from perfect, it feels wholly original and Kelly draws wonderful performances from his cast. James Marsden in particular, does stellar work. And Kelly proves again he is adept at completely capturing a time and place- this time a sleepy suburb in 1970′s Virginia. And while the movie certainly shovels on the weird, Kelly does a wonderful job at developing the characters and the relationships so we have an emotional investment by the time the movie turns to talk of aliens, tests of humanity and eternal damnation.

Go out and see “The Box.” while it is not a movie for everyone, it is important to support originality, particularly when it is coming from such a relatively new and promising voice. Some of the best studio films of the last few years (hello “Dark Knight”) have come from directors who started out in indies before making the move to the mainstream studio system. Maybe Richard Kelly’s best movie making days are behind him, but I think “The Box” shows a director who is beginning to deliver on the promise of a strong and daring first feature. Lets hope he keeps getting chances to prove me right.

Indie to look for: “(Untitled)”

nedprickett — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:39:26 +0000

Thanks to my duties as film critic I got a chance to see “(Untitled),” a new movie about two brothers navigating the New York City art scene. I loved the movie (you can read my review for it here) and really think it is one that holds a lot of appeal for any film fan. Click on for more of my thoughts on the movie.

“(Untitled)” is going to appeal to anyone who has ever walked through a gallery or a museum featuring modern art and wondered what exactly are the qualifications for something being considered “art.”

The artists depicted in the film are desperately trying to create art that will “own the 21st century,” as Madeliene Gray, the snooty gallery owner puts it. In the midst of gallery owners, artists, and art buyers frantically trying to predict what will be considered great 50 years from now, brothers Adrian and Josh are simply trying to produce work that will matter now. Josh desperately wants critical feedback and Adrian “to make each work the best it could be.”

The brother’s quest for artistic fulfillment emotionally grounds the satire and makes even the most outlandish characters in the film far more poignant. The world of “(Untitled)” often feels ridiculous but never unreal.

Defintitely keep an eye out for this one. The film’s Facebook page has a current release schedule up for the film. It seems to be slowly rolling out across the country and if you live near a big city, it looks like you should definitely get a chance to see it.

Farewell Miramax

nedprickett — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:07:26 +0000

It feels like the end of an era. Variety reported Friday that Miramax President, Daniel Battsek, is stepping down and that the studio will now only be releasing three films a year.

To see the studio that did more than any other to push indies and foreign films into the mainstream be relegated to such an afterthought is quite sad. While the studio lost much of its name value with the departure of the Weinstein brothers, Miramax had continued to release a slate of very strong and intelligent films- Most notably 2008′s Oscar Winner for Best Picture, “No Country for Old Men.”

Miramax introduced the world to Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Steven Soderbergh, Danny Boyle, Rob Marshall, and Baz Luhrmann to name a few. That is an impressive list to say the least. I would argue that most anyone has a favorite film directed by one of those directors. With studios like Miramax being relegated by studios more interested in opening weekend grosses and movies that will play to the biggest and broadest audiences possible it will be interesting who will step up to nurture new and exciting cinematic voices. I agree with Russ Fischer over at /Film that the outlook is most uncertain.

Any way you slice it, losing Miramax is a potentially big blow for unique and original filmmaking. As a film fan that grew up in the wake of the 90′s indie and foriegn film explosion, the news certainly hit me rather hard when I read about it this morning.

What about you guys? You sad to see Miramax go or am I being a bit dramatic?

3 Reason’s to get “An Education”

nedprickett — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:06:34 +0000

“An Education” lives up to the hype. The film, about a young girl falling into a relationship with a much older man is beautifully scripted, performed and directed. Here are three reasons why you definitely should check this one out in theaters:

1. Carey Mulligan

Simply put, she’s sensational. In a lot of reviews for the film, critics have been comparing Carey Mulligan to Audrey Hepburn. After seeing the movie I can see why. Like Audrey Hepburn, Mulligan has an uncanny ability to seemingly represent every aspect of femininity in her performance as Jenny. Mulligan’s Jenny is intelligent, naive, perceptive, sexy, innocent, young, and wise beyond her years all at once. Mulligan’s work in “An Education” suggests that she has the soulfullness and amazing range of emotion that made Hepburn a star.

2. Peter Sarsgaard

While Carey Mulligan will most likely get most of the award’s attention, Peter Sarsgaard is superb as David, the older man who seduces Jenny. Scenes of a man in his mid-30′s courting a 16 year old could easily have been skincrawingly inappropriate but Sarsgaard manages to balance the audience’s moral objections to the relationship with the direct and seemingly open way in which David pursues Jenny. We cannot help but be impressed with David’s nimble handling of Jenny’s parents despite the fact that he seems to have had a lot of practice charming suspicious parents. For Sarsgaard, “An Education” continues a uniquely diverse and interesting career trajectory. Sarsgaard has deftly moved between lead and supporting parts in movies both small and large, doing work that consistently makes the film’s he chooses better for his presence in the cast.

3. It’s all about the details

One of the film’s strengths is how perfectly encapsulates a time and place: post-WWII England. Hornby’s screenplay (adapted from Lynn Barber’s memior) gets every detail right. Jenny’s world is one which holds very little adventure for a woman, no matter how smart she is or how well she does in school. David’s life offers the excitement and adventure that an Oxford education might promise, but rarely delivers. Jenny need only look at her teacher’s (wonderfully played by Olivia Williams) seemingly frustrating and boring life to see how little life seemingly holds for her. The clubs, art auctions and race tracks that David whisks Jenny away to feel absolutely spot on and the couple’s trip to Paris is stylishly and romantically shot by director Lone Scherfig. More than anything “An Education” is a confidently produced film, made by people who completely understood the story that they wanted to tell.

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” vs. Subtitles

nedprickett — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:38:17 +0000

Really interesting article over at ifc.com about how foreign movies that are raking in money internationally still have trouble finding a release stateside.

I was really surprised to see “The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo” on the list. The book the movie is based on was as huge hit here and its sequel, “The Girl Who Played with Fire,” has sold as well as any book without the name Dan Brown attached to it. And the movie has been really well received by audiences and critics overseas.

The article says the reason for the delay in finding distribution is due to the fact that subtitles typically make for poor box office returns:

“In America, with few exceptions, the fact that a film is subtitled means it’s destined for the arthouse.”

Are people really that afraid of having to do a little reading when they go see a movie? I find that I don’t really notice the subtitles after awhile. If the movie is good it’s going to draw you in, regardless of what language the characters are speaking. “The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo” is not a movie with deep or highly artistic goals. It is based on a really popular and very mainstream thriller- Think “The Firm” meets “Silence of the Lambs”- that is intelligent and accessible. It’s hard to believe that with the name value and popularity of the books series that the movie wont do at least solid business in the U.S. if given a chance. Maybe like with “Brothers,” most movie-goers will wait for the inevitable big-budget Hollywood remake.

I attached the trailer below. Sure it’s not in English but it gives a pretty good taste of what the movie is going for. Dear readers, what do you think? Do you mind subtitles? let me know in the comments section.

These “Brothers” Look familiar

nedprickett — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:48:27 +0000

While I am usually not in favor of remaking movies that were great the first time around, I am excited about “Brothers.” It is a remake of a danish film of the same name directed by the awesome Susanne Bier. The remake comes out in December and stars Jake Gylenhaal, Natalie Portman, and Toby Maguire and is directed by Jim Sheridan. That is a heck of a lot of pedigree.

The original is great, and I would encourage everyone to see that, and while I am still hesitant about the remake, the idea of a filmmaker like Sheridan tackling Brier’s work is certainly intriguing.

Brier’s film – like everything she does- is a study in subtlety, which makes Sheridan such an interesting choice as director for the remake. No one could ever call Sheridan subtle, just watch “In The Name of the Father.” He is a filmmaker that demands an emotional response from the viewer.

The biggest question mark for me is how Natalie Portman will compare to Nielsen. Nielsen gave an absolutely beautiful performance in the original and it will be interesting to see what Portman is able to do with the part, as it is a really good one. Playing a mother of two will definitely be a departure for her.

Seek out the original. It is available on Netflix.