Nights And Weekends

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: October 10, 2008

DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009

Plot 411: A long-distance couple are confronted with the realities of living in two different cities and having two different lives.

Review: Greta Gerwig and Joe Swanberg are Mattie and James, a couple whose relationship spans many cities. Mattie lives in New York and James lives in Chicago. All they have are quickie weekend trips to and fro to make their relationship work. The film explores, in a very realistic way, the joy and hardships of long-distance dating. I liked how the film presented the utter ecstasy of reuniting as well as the awkardness of getting reacquainted. The bickering and squabbles that Mattie and James endure are perfect examples of real life. The dialogue is authentic and honest, complete with stuttering and pauses. The characters feel so real. There are no body doubles. There is no hair and makeup. It's as if a real couple's lives are being filmed. This is what makes this movie unique. Gerwig is a really great actress who is able to transform her emotions in mere seconds. The discomfort and uneasiness that Mattie and Joe experience each time they meet reminds me of those weird high school moments. You don't really know the person except that you do. You're dating the person but you're not really. That limbo is so beautifully portrayed.

Watch It: If you like mumblecore because this is pretty typical of the genre.

Skip It: If you're hoping there's a resolution to anything.

Good Dick

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: October 10, 2008

DVD Release Date: January 26, 2009

Plot 411: A movie store clerk is intrigued by one of his customers.

Review: This is the oddest film I've seen in a while, but in some weird way it's also the sweetest. I enjoyed it even though I didn't totally get it. It has that indie charm and characters that are so true to life. It's not Hollywood fluff. Could this movie be considered mumblecore? Possibly, but with Jason Ritter playing the male lead it's a little hard to say. The plot is about a guy (Ritter) who works in a video store and a girl (Marianna Palka) who comes in every night to borrow erotic videos. The guy (who doesn't have a name in the film) is intrigued by the girl (no name for her either) and does all types of things to start a relationship with her. He's lonely in L.A. and financially strapped despite having a job. His only real friends are his co-workers, and other than the video store, he has no life. The girl is dealing with her own problems, problems that seem very twisted psychologically and emotionally. She's a tough girl who has built walls to protect herself. But what is it that she's afraid of? The guy desperately tries to uncover this mystery with the hope that she'll return his affection. Somehow, it doesn't seem very likely so why does he continue to try? Is he just a masochist? Is she just a mental institution patient?

Watch It: For a film that confuses your emotions.

Skip It: If the mention of erotica has you stumbling backward. But, just so you know, it's not really the main plotline.

The Trouble With Men And Women

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: August 9, 2006

DVD Release Date: April 24, 2007

Plot 411: Matt struggles after he's dumped and takes home several one night stands before finally finding something meaningful. But, is it with the right girl?

Review: This was a short movie shot with assumingly a very low budget. It had a mumblecore feel to it, but I'm not exactly sure what distinguishes those types of films from simple low budget fare. In any case, it was shot on a hand held camera that gave the entire movie a documentary feel. There were a lot of blurry (aka artsy) shots, but I don't really think they were effective. Matt (Joseph McFadden) is distraught when his girlfriend Deborah dumps him and leaves for New York. As he ponders the whys of it all, his friend Vinnie (Matthew Delamere) and his girlfriend Susie (Kate Ashfield) try to cheer him up. Vinnie goes even further by taking him out so he can meet new women. But Matt is a romantic at heart and cannot seem to let the idea of Deborah go. Vinnie, on the other hand, freely flirts with other girls despite having a girlfriend of six years. I don't think I'd really recommend this film to anyone unless you're a hardcore film fanatic that needs to watch every single piece of footage out there. This may or may not help you with your own film making techniques and give you ideas for the future. Everything is shot pretty loosely, as if by an amateur. Many of the frames are up close to the actors' faces. It's almost got that home movie quality to it, which I suppose is a style unto itself.

Watch It: For what not to do in your films.

Skip It: Because there are many other films more worthy of your time.

Baghead

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: July 25, 2008

DVD Release Date: December 27, 2008

Plot 411: Four frustrated B-movie actors retreat to a cabin in the woods to write their masterpiece but are confronted with a mysterious bagheaded man.

Review: I honestly didn't know what to expect before I popped this one in. It's written and directed by the Duplass brothers (Jay and Mark) who are slowly making it into the mainstream but are primarily indie movie makers. They're a part of a movement called mumblecore (read here for a good article on it from "The New Yorker"). I watched their flick The Puffy Chair a while back and can't really even remember the details of it. I know I didn't really like it. Baghead is way, way better. It still had their style of long, single camera takes. It still made use of very little screen talent (and crew as well). It still had that shaky-handed camera technique and whipped the camera back and forth between people. But, in addition to focusing on character development, it had a decent plot to it. There was a suspense and horror about it that was truly mainstream, even if the techniques they used were minimalist to the point of documentary film making. Even the acting performances are subtle and emotions are conveyed with a look, a sneer or a verbal jab. It was able to capture real, true emotions perfectly. There are some humorous moments and some scary moments, but through it all the reactions of the characters to their situation is very real. I did notice some not-so-smart things that they did, but it didn't really affect my fondness of them. Those little bumps in the plot can be ignored only if you have really believable characters.

Watch It: If you liked The Strangers with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. Despite the vast differences in budget, I think Baghead is a lot more effect at getting its message across. The emotions feel more real because the characters could be one of our friends.

Skip It: If you're looking for blood and guts. This one is effective without those extras.

Trailer: