2006 Indie Preview
By Dan Krovich
January 26, 2006
2005 turned out to be a great year for independent film, at least if you go by the broad sense of the term "independent". March of the Penguins turned out to be the sleeper hit of the summer, and many of the major Oscar contenders this year are smaller films: Brokeback Mountain; Capote; Good Night, and Good Luck; and Crash. While most of the films from our 2005 Indie Preview didn't become breakout box office hits (though we did include March of the Penguins, at that time still titled The Emperor's Journey), most of them were at the very least satisfying artistically. Kung Fu Hustle, Land of the Dead, and Wolf Creek were able to find some level of box office success, and The Edukators, Grizzly Man, Keane, and Oldboy found their way into my Top 20 films for 2005. 2006 looks to continue the momentum of success for independent film and with that here are a dozen films to look forward to in the new year.
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Block parties are always fun. Get your friends and neighbors together, grab some food, and perhaps some music and have a blast. Of course, if you're Dave Chappelle, your party is filmed by Michel Gondry and your music consists of live performances from Kanye West, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Dead Prez, Jill Scott, The Roots, and The Fugees. Gondry's music video work is pretty much a guarantee that he'll get the most out of the performances as he mixes them with footage of Chappelle's party preparations.
For Your Consideration
Christopher Guest and company bring their trademark brand of humor to a subject that sorely needs it - the awards show season. The cast of an independent film gets caught up in the hype when their movie starts attracting awards buzz. The film apparently marks a move away from the mockumentary style of A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, and Waiting for Guffman, but still will use improvisation to come up with the story.
Half Nelson
Director Ryan Fleck expands his Sundance award-winning short film Gowanus, Brooklyn into a feature with Half Nelson. The always excellent Ryan Gosling stars as an idealistic inner city high school teacher with a drug problem. When he is caught in a compromising position by one of his students, he begins an unexpected friendship with her. She is no stranger to the world of drugs as her brother is serving time on drug charges as the fall guy for the local drug dealer. The short film avoids easy answers and suggests room for expansion for the story to become a compelling feature.
Lady Vengeance
Park Chan-wook has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting directors working today, and Lady Vengeance marks the final chapter in his "revenge trilogy", which also consisted of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy. When Lee Geum-ja, a 19-year-old woman, takes the fall for her accomplice for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy, she spends her time behind bars planning her revenge. She also makes some friends who help her carry out her plan upon her release. It's certainly likely to be the most stylish looking film of the year.
Look Both Ways
Look Both Ways picked up four awards at Australia's major movie Awards, including Best Picture and Director. The film takes place over one weekend as several characters' lives criss-cross as they are brought together by a tragic event. The multi-character drama is one of my favorites when done well. Director Sarah Watt has previously been best known as an animator and introduces some animation to add some unique touches.
Manderlay
This is likely to be an easy decision for most people. If you liked Dogville, you'll probably be interested in Manderlay. If you disliked Dogville, you'll probably want to skip the latest from Lars von Trier. The second film in his planned "American trilogy" takes on the history of slavery and racism in the United States using the same bare bones theatrical style that he used in Dogville. While it's certain to be a polemic, it is also certain to be thought provoking.
The Science of Sleep
Directed by Michel Gondry is all that really needs to be said to get this film on this list, as Gondry makes his first foray into feature filmmaking without a Charlie Kaufman script. From his music video and short film work, it's obvious that he is fine on his own, so it will be interesting to see what he comes up with here. The story is very simple at its core. Gael Garcia Bernal plays a young man in a boring job who falls in love with his new neighbor, but that's all Gondry needs to hang his inventive and whimsical filmmaking.
So Much So Fast
When 29-year-old Stephen Heywood is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), his family doesn't respond passively. Documentary filmmakers Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan (the Oscar nominated Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern) follow the family over the five years following the diagnosis. Particularly interesting is the "guerilla science" research group started by his brother in response the fact that ALS is an orphan disease, as it is not likely to be profitable for drug companies to spend money to find a cure.
Sunshine
In 2002, writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle reinvigorated the zombie genre, and now they set their sites on science fiction with Sunshine. In the future, the sun is dying and mankind's only hope for survival is a crew of eight men and women who set off in a spaceship on a mission to revive the dying star. It promises to be more of a thoughtful sci-fi film instead of simply an eye candy spectacle and Boyle has assembled a cast of actors who always seem to stand out in any movie they're in. They include Cliff Curtis, Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, and Michelle Yeoh.
This Film is Not Yet Rated
Award-winning documentary filmmaker turns his camera toward the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which among other functions provides content ratings for films. Apparently meant to ruffle a few feathers, he takes on topics that are on everyone's minds - for instance, why is sex treated so much more strictly than violence? Getting a more in-depth look into the shielded process of movie ratings is certain to be of interest to anyone who has ever questioned a film's rating.
Twelve and Holding
Michael Cuesta's first film was the controversial L.I.E., which dealt with the relationship between a teenage boy and an older man. In Twelve and Holding he focuses on a group of tweener friends as they try to make sense of a shared tragedy while taking their first steps into adulthood. While not as hot button as his first film, Cuesta still recognizes that sometimes pre-teens get into adult situations, and he treats them with care and respect.
Who Needs Sleep?
After a 19-hour day on the set, assistant cameraman Brent Hershman died in a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel in 1997. This incident spurred legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler to turn his camera on one of the less glamorous aspects of the film industry, the 15-18 hours a day, five to six days a week that a film crew often puts in on the set of a movie. Such a schedule is set to trim the budget at the expense of negative consequences on individuals. Wexler's reputation allowed him to get behind the scenes footage on major film shoots to bring light to an issue that the industry does not want to talk about.
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