Great Films that Fly Under the Radar

I like weird movies.  You know, the ones that make you go hmmm.  Misfits and outcasts, those are my people.  Characters who constantly make the wrong choice for the right reason are fascinating to watch.  I also like my movies to be pretty.   You might even call them art.

They are often indie films from small studios, helmed by directors that are relatively unknown.  These people are allowed to reflect their perspectives of the world without a ton of studio interference, and the realties they create are at once surreal and completely familiar.

I often have to wait until these films are released on DVD.  They don't seem to show in Winnipeg, although occasionally they will pop up at Cinematheque or The Globe. All of the films in the following list are available for rent.  I could probably list 20 great indie films, but I'm going to start with seven.  If you find yourself bored some evening or weekend and want some brain candy, check these out. In no particular order:

1) Laurel Canyon, written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, starring Frances McDormand, Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsale.

I love Frances McDormand, and Lisa Cholodenko's first film, High Art, is also great.  In Laurel Canyon, McDormand stars as Jane, a "hard-living, free-thinking, rock-and-roll record producer."  Her son and his fiancée get stuck living with her in her Laurel Canyon home, and friction arises as the young couple's conservative values don't exactly mesh with Jane's party-loving ways. Throw in a few love triangles, and suddenly everyone begins to question the rules she or he has decided to live by.

2) Prey for Rock & Roll, directed by Alex Steyermark, written by Cheri Lovedog. Starring Gina Gershon and Drea DeMatteo.

This one is pure guilty pleasure.  I found it in a discount bin and was intrigued by the story.  Four dollars well spent, as this one is a lot of fun.  It's about an all-girl band who's been at the business for years, and are struggling just as much now as they were when they first started.  On her 40th birthday, Gershon's character starts to wonder if it's all really worth it.  It's a portrait of the music biz from a female perspective, with a rad soundtrack.

3) Hedwig and the Angry Inch, written, directed and starring John Cameron Mitchell

I can't talk movie musicals without mentioning my favourite cult film of all time!  Hedwig is a "girly-boy from East Germany " who becomes a woman to immigrate to the United States.  After a botched sex-change operation, she dreams of becoming a rock star, until love for the boy who broke her heart gets in her way. Beautiful music, beautiful make-up and costumes, great story.  It will make you laugh and it will break your heart.  Make it a double-hitter and also pick up Mitchell's Short Bus, the film that almost got Sook-Yin Lee fired from the CBC.

4) Possible Worlds, written and directed by Robert LePage, starring Tom McCamus and Tilda Swinton.

Robert LePage is a Canadian theatre artist, actor and director who is well-known for his quirky and often bizarre pieces.  This film is what you would consider post-modern... to a higher power.  It begins with a shocking murder that involves a corpse with a missing brain.  As the mystery evolves, we slip into the victim's dreamscape, and follow him through the various possible worlds/scenes/outcomes that might or could have been.

5) The Princess and the Warrior, written and directed by Tom Tykwer, starring Franka Potente.

From the writer/director of Run Lola Run, The Princess and the Warrior is one of the most beautifully shot films I have ever seen.  It focuses on Sissi, a rather shy individual who works as a nurse in a mental hospital.  One day, while out for a walk with a patient, Sissy is struck and pinned by a car.  Bodo, an enigmatic former soldier, crawls under the car and saves her life.   In that moment, Sissi's entire life changes and she and Bodo begin an odd relationship.  Bodo has demons he just can't shake.  Sissi was once asleep, but now she is wide awake.  In German with English subtitles.


6) Saved!  Written by Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban, Directed by Brian Dannelly.  Starring Jena Malone, Macaulay Culkin, Mandy Moore and Patrick Fugit.

Saved!  is a clever satire that masquerades as a teen movie.  After watching this film, I have a new-found respect for Mandy Moore, because she is willing to satirize herself.   Jena Malone plays a good Christian girl who has always done everything right.  For her, it's perfectly logical that when her best friend tells her he's gay, she should try to save his soul by having sex with him. (Also, Jesus told her to.) The ensemble as a whole is really strong.  Believe the hype: it is "wickedly funny."

That's my top-six.  Feel free to share your own favourite indie films (or not so indie films) in the comments below.