While last week held a mix of anti-heroes, this one was full of family drama! Frighteningly close mother-son teams, dark family secrets that could rip a young girl’s world asunder and reunions that include dead relations. Yep, this week indie cinema proved it takes family dysfunction to a whole new level!
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Cyrus ~ Directed by Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass
This Duplass Brothers comedy centers on a disconcerting love triangle made up of a fiercely co-dependent mother-son duo played by Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill, and a lovable loser played by John C. Reilly, who falls for the former and is plagued by the latter. Deeply rooted in the mumblecore aesthetic Cyrus is full of wavering handheld camerawork, naturalistic dialogue, haphazardly hewn characters and a deconstructed final act. While many mumblecore movies mix comedy and drama, Cyrus’ frequent tonal shifts make it uncomfortable to watch. Hill’s dead-eyed momma’s boy brings the whole thing two steps away from being a horror movie, as his menacing overtures seem pre-Norman Bates breakdown. All this makes the surprisingly sweet ending seem eerily ill suited. The performances are largely sound, but it’s difficult to overcome the general ookiness of this nearly incestuous parent-child bond.
Nominations: Best Lead Male – John C. Reilly
Snubbed? No.
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives ~ Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
This surrealist Thai “comedy” unveils a tale so strange and so slowly paced that I was left totally befuddled. As an aging farmer draws closer to death, his wife’s ghost appears to comfort him, as does his son, who had gone missing only to become a glowing, red-eyed monkey-man. Yeah, go ahead and read that premise again. Ghost wives, “Monkey Ghosts,” bestiality, princesses, club-footed aunts, and a frisky talking fish all factor into the narrative but I couldn’t tell you how. I admittedly know little about Thailand and its culture, so I struggled to make sense of what unrolled before me onscreen. Then I watched a magic catfish perform oral sex on a disfigured princess (a sex act that will henceforth be dubbed “catfishlingus”), and I cashed in my chips. This one is beyond me.
Nominations: Best Foreign Film
Snubbed? Not for the existing categories, but I award this one Strangest Cunnilingus Scene of the Year. (Better luck next year, Aronofsky and Baumbach!)
Night Catches Us ~ Directed by Tanya Hamilton
Hamilton’s directorial debut is a passion-filled period piece that is as ambitious as it is uneven. Set in 1976 Philadelphia, Night Catches Us co-stars Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) and Kerry Washington (Lakeview Terrace) as a pair of former Black Panthers whose present is haunted by a dark secret from their shared past. Mackie returns to his old neighborhood after his father’s death and is forced to face his reasons for leaving while reconnecting with Washington’s disillusioned single mother, whose daughter yearns to learn about her mother’s history with the Panthers. The film explores the Panther’s contribution as well as their decline, but never quite manages the scope for which it strives.
Nominations: Best First Feature
Snubbed? No. Both of the main players have been better utilized in other features.
This week by the Numbers:
Awkward Protagonists: 2
Indie Darlings: 4
Disturbing Mother-Child Duos: 3
Anti-climatic Resolutions: 2
Films Watched: 19/35
Runningtime conquered: 1702 minutes
State of Mind: Lots of awkward dialogue and unwieldy film worlds made this week a slog. I’m hoping next week’s indies are easier to process.
Sidenote: Lovers of Hate’s screening was rain-checked til further notice.
Next week I’ll be looking at some lesser-known features, like Marwencol, LBS., and Kisses.
Have you seen any of these nominees? What are your thoughts?