Category Archives: Indie

Horns review — Here’s a weird little movie

October 28, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Alexandre Aja, Written by Keith Bunin from a novel by Joe Hill | 121 min | Amazon Prime Many movies fail from lack of ambition. Not Horns. Where it doesn't work, it's because it wants to be too many things rather than just settling for being something ordinary or mediocre. That's actually something…Read More

The Skeleton Twins review — A drama that needs more drama

October 9, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Craig Johnson, written by Johnson and Mark Heyman Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, the leads in this drama about suicidal siblings, are great together. We know that already—there's an ease honed over years working together on Saturday Night Live. But just because they're talented comics, and can deliver on the lighter moments in…Read More

The Trip To Italy review

September 26, 2014 flawintheiris

Written and directed by Michael Winterbottom I was so thrilled to discover this sequel exists! The first movie, The Trip, from 2011, was a whole lot of fun—Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon improvising dialogue, riffing off each other, while driving around and eating at gourmet restos in northern England. The film functioned as a gorgeous travelogue,…Read More

Atlantic Film Festival 2014: Day Eight—Cronenberg, The Guest, and that’s a wrap!

September 19, 2014 flawintheiris

Is it possible it's all over so soon? Must be since I was sitting in a packed house for David Cronenberg's Maps To The Stars on Thursday night, and a week ago I was at the Cohn for the disappointing opener, Elephant Song. As a closer, the Cronenberg film was typically discomfiting from the Canadian provocateur—even…Read More

Atlantic Film Festival 2014: Day Five—Shorts, Turkey, Paris, and the 1984 Miners’ Strike

September 16, 2014 flawintheiris

I'm a little confused by the many programs of Atlantic Shorts. In previous editions of the AFF, the Atlantic Shorts were separated from the general Shorts and the International Shorts, all of which were separated from the Animation programs. Seems like they've all been gathered together as Atlantic Shorts, despite the fact that, say, Father,…Read More

Boyhood review

August 14, 2014 flawintheiris

Written and directed by Richard Linklater In December of this year when people like me consider the stand-out feature films of the past 12 months, Boyhood will distinguish itself from the pack for one undeniable reason: it took 12 years to make. Starting back in the GW Bush era, Linklater gathered a small cast together…Read More

Wish I Was Here review

August 7, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Zach Braff, written by Braff with his brother, Adam J. Braff The reputation of Scrubs star Zach Braff's first indie feature Garden State has taken some hits since it was a hit back in 2004. Braff became the punching bag as a representative of a certain kind of hipster cool, which I never thought he…Read More

Obvious Child review

July 20, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Gillian Robespierre, Written by Robespierre, Karen Maine, and Elizabeth Holm, based on a short film by Robespierre, Maine, and Anna Bean I can't tell you how great it is to see a film like this with characters who speak like people I know, about the politics and reality of modern life for women…Read More

Begin Again review

July 14, 2014 flawintheiris

Written and directed by John Carney Eight years ago, Irish filmmaker and musician Carney directed a wonderful little film called Once, about a longtime busker who takes a young pianist under his wing. It was a shot-on-a-shoestring delight, and the song that brought them together went on to win an Oscar. Carney made another little-seen Irish movie,…Read More

Tracks review

June 19, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by John Curran, written by Marion Nelson from a book by Robyn Davidson Tracks is one of the summer's gems, and easily one of the best movies so far this year. I saw it last year at the Atlantic Film Festival, and am happy to see it a second time. It's based on the true…Read More